When In Rome
by avo maria
Summary: We find Gio and Betty waking in Rome, ready to start the adventure of a lifetime... together. How did they get there? Where will it lead them? This is my little fantasy for Getty, and if S3 won't bring it for me, I'll write it myself ; M is for later
1. Roman Holiday

Hello Ladies!

This is dedicated to all the Getties who've encouraged me to have a go at writing my own fic. I'm a huge fan of the Getty crew and I would love your advice, ideas, feedback, criticism or abuse - whatever you think I deserve ;)

Enjoy!

BTW... they're not mine. The characters. I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

_He stepped towards her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and took her hand with the other. She looked down at their hands, their skin tone a perfect match, and breathed in the scent of him. He held her hand softly in his, then raised it to his lips as though it was the most important thing he had ever done. As he kissed the back of her palm, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. _

_She looked so beautiful in this light, her eyes dancing in anticipation, her mouth slightly open and her breath soft and shallow. He could see her speeding pulse on the pale olive of her neck. Slipping her hand around to rest on his, he pulled her closer to him, leant forward and whispered, "just one dance, B."_

Betty woke to feel the cool cotton on her cheek, the silky brocade of the bedspread, and the warm glow of the morning sun on her back. She rolled over towards the warmth and felt another warmth envelop her.

"Morning sleepyhead" a low, husky voice greeted her.

"mmmm… morning", she smiled, eyes still closed, remembering where she was.

The light from the window cast his face in shadow as he lay in front of her. She buried her head between his bare chest and his left arm, snuggling closer to him. He tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear and kissed her head softly.

Running his fingers across her shoulder and down her arm, he asked, "Did you dream about me?"

She grinned and laughed to herself, recalling the scene.

"…You did!" He felt very pleased with himself. "Was it good?" he teased.

Still half asleep, she murmured "mmm, not as good as this" lifting her palm to his chest and playing with the silver chain he wore. That wasn't the answer he'd expected. He took a deep breath, felt a slight tightening in his chest, and then exhaled slowly as she buried her face a little further. Looking around the room, he took in his surroundings.

The walls were papered with an antique gold, textured to match the brocade of the bed, and in the sunrise they had become a blush pink, casting a warm glow on everything. The polished wooden floorboards were strewn with soft, aged rugs, and the exposed rafters were of the same wood, left raw. To the right of the bed were a small table and two chairs, sitting in front of a set of tall windows that opened out onto the neighbouring rooftops. He rolled onto his back, Betty's head still resting on his chest, her shoulder tucked under his arm, and gazed out at the view. The flocks of birds had started to dance again, and in the distance he could see the bulging roof of the Pantheon, its large oculus like a pupil gazing at the sky.

He would take her there today, tell her that it was built as a temple to all the gods, explain that they used elephants to raise the each of the monolithic columns into place. She would ask about the sculptures and the tombs, he would tell her their stories, describe how the huge domed ceiling had been cast in a single pour of concrete, mixed with heavy stone at the sides, slowly becoming thinner and thinner until the upper parts were mixed with pumice. He would tell her that the amazing thing was that we still don't really know how they did it, that if we tried the same thing today with modern methods, it would last for a year or two at most. This building had stood for nineteen centuries.

He felt Betty shift slightly in his embrace, bringing her left hand across his stomach and leaning into him. Her left leg crept over his until she was half lying on him. He took another deep breath.

He loved Rome, he loved the sound of it, the smells down each little street, the beauty of the buildings and the people, the feel of marble in so many colours, the idea that tastes that had meant home and family were here waiting to welcome him again. He wanted Betty to love it too.

Betty's eyes drifted open and she saw Gio gazing out the window. She could tell he was thinking because of the way his brows furrowed slightly and his lips sat in a tiny frown. He usually wore a half-smile or a dimpled grin, but she liked catching him in these moments. The _Phillip_ Roth moments, she had named them. The rest of the room was a blur, but she caught sight of the red sitting on the bedside table.

Gio turned to look down at Betty. Her hair was a mess again and fell across her face. Her brown eyes were warm and rested, and she looked relaxed. She hadn't even noticed that the strap of her singlet had slipped off her left shoulder. He was relieved. He didn't want her to be worrying while she was with him. She'd sent Henry back to Tucson with his ring and only a shred of his pride. Gio had started to think that her guilt would follow her across the Atlantic. But she seemed content. His gaze wandered down to the hint of cleavage, and remembering that he had a month in this beautiful place with her made him smile.

Betty noticed as his lips sneaked up at the corners and his brow relaxed. She lifted her fingers to his lips, recalling her dream again, and he kissed them. He slipped her strap back onto her shoulder and gently nudged the back of her arm so her hand slid towards his temple. His eyes closed.

He moaned softly and dipped his head forward as her fingers began to run over his hair.

"It's growing", she smiled

"Mmm hmmm…" she stopped massaging and gave him a stern look.

"Let it grow"

"Yes ma'am"

She began massaging again, pressing her fingertips into his scalp, feeling his hair bristle under her palm. She didn't mind it short on him, but she loved the look and feel of longer hair. She liked the way it fell in his face, dark and shining on his coffee coloured skin.

"So what shall we do today?" he asked in a singsong voice.

"Mmm, eat." She felt her stomach's emptiness and mentally apologised to it "…And walk. I want to get a feel for the city before we start doing the touristy thing"

"Sounds good to me" Gio nodded, eyes still closed, head lolling under her fingers.

"Okay…" Betty withdrew her hand

"No don't stop… please, please, please…."

But Betty rolled away and pushed the covers aside.

Gio rolled after her, reaching out for her waist and pulling her back into him in a strong embrace.

Betty resisted for only a second, then flung the covers back over herself and snuggled into his arms.

He nosed her hair aside and kissed the back of her ear…

"Can I have _you_ for breakfast?"

"Hmm, nope…. Definitely not…" Betty replied "but perhaps dessert…" she teased and he growled in her ear.

She was incredibly ticklish, he realised, as she cowered down under the covers and wriggled away from him.

"Oooh this is gonna be fun" he thought to himself, as he tore away the sheets again and she leapt from the bed. He started after her and then stopped as she scurried away to the bathroom in her little singlet and sweatpants.

He collapsed back on the bed in his boxers and recalled the night before, when they had made it to this room after 24 hours, two terrible in-flight meals (he didn't care if it was first class – if it wasn't fresh and it was a thousand feet in the air, it wasn't food) three incessantly crying toddlers and an overly talkative taxi driver, they had barely dropped their bags when Betty had crawled into the twin bed and drifted off. He just stood there, door still ajar, and slowly took off his jacket, sat down on the bed and watched her sleep. He closed the door and walked to the other side of the bed, slipped her glasses off, folded them and set them on the bedside table. He rummaged around for his cell phone and retreated into the bathroom to call Ignacio and Daniel and let them know they'd arrived safely. He'd had to wake her gently once their things were in order and talk her into changing out of her dress. She'd snatched the clothes he held out to her, then stomped out of the bathroom and collapsed back on the bed with no idea how cute she looked. She was out again like a light. He flicked it off and crawled in beside her, gazing at the ceiling, wondering if she'd thought that they would probably be sharing a room, and a bed, and half afraid she would hit him if she woke in the night and found him next to her.

Then her hand, sliding over the sheet in an arc, searching for him, found his elbow and tugged. He rolled onto his side and held her hand, kissed it, and fell asleep.

_Chapter Two coming soon..._


	2. Bouquets for Betty

Betty stood under the soft stream of warm water, letting it trickle over her shoulders and down her back. She stepped back into the water and felt it fall on her head and spill over her face. Running her fingers through her hair, enjoying the steam and the heat, she heard something and opened her eyes.

Gio, singing slightly out of key, in the bedroom.

She looked at her reflection in the glass door of the shower and smiled. She was surprised how comfortable she felt with him already. Here she was standing naked in the very next room, and the only nerves she felt were anticipation. She squeezed some lotion into her hands and massaged it into her arms, across her chest and shoulders, enjoying the smoothness and scent of it. She turned up the pressure and felt the stresses of New York, her family, Henry, Daniel, Daniel Jr and Wilhelmena wash away.

She realised Gio would probably want to shower too, so she flicked off the water, stepped out and wrapped herself in one of the large fluffy towels. She dried her hair a little, covered it with another towel, and crept out of the room.

Gio was sitting in the sunlight at the little table, leafing through a small notebook and humming to himself. He was still wearing the silky black boxers, but had put on a white singlet. His skin looked warm and soft, his strong arms relaxed, and his silver chain glinting as he breathed. She nearly jumped into his lap but instead turned to the closet to lift out a dark blue bathrobe and tie it around herself.

Gio sat very still, he could see her from the corner of his eye, and noticed that the towel covered only to her mid-thigh. Her coffee-coloured skin was slightly flushed from the shower, and it glistened in the damp heat. As she turned towards him he looked up, "good shower?"

"Yeah… the best" she smiled contentedly.

She looked refreshed, her eyes were sparkling again, and with her hair pulled back from her face she seemed majestic. He noticed how defined her cheekbones were, framing her eyes and her smile. She walked over to the bedside cabinet, picked up her glasses, and then sat in the chair opposite him. As she crossed her legs he noticed the robe fall away to the side, revealing her tiny feet and shapely calves. Betty noticed his gaze and tucked the side of the robe across firmly. He just smiled and looked up at her.

"I should probably call home" she said.

"No need, I talked to your Dad last night. And Daniel."

She was surprised, "When?... Oh." She realised that she must have fallen asleep very swiftly the night before.

The towel around her head began to slip, and she unravelled it from her hair, laying it on the back of the chair.

Gio watched as a damp strand of hair fell across her face. Her long brown locks were tangled and shining as they cascaded down her neck and over the collar of the blue robe. He leaned towards her, lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and kissed her gently on the mouth.

She closed her eyes and half smiled as she felt his cool hand on her face, his moist lips on hers. She leaned forward into the kiss and almost slipped from the chair when Gio pulled away suddenly.

"Right! Get yourself dolled up! I won't be long" he grinned, scampering off into the bathroom.

Betty slumped back into her chair, put her glasses on and turned to look out the window. It was a bright summer morning, the heat beginning to radiate in waves from the tiled rooves of neighbouring buildings. She saw the city of cream and copper coloured stone sprawled out into the distance under a vibrant blue sky.

She smiled in slight disbelief.

She'd never been out of the city by herself, let alone out of the country. And yet, here she was, half way across the world, in a beautiful hotel room with a man she barely knew. Well, that wasn't quite true. She did a mental check of all the things she knew about him.

Giovanni Rossi.

New York native.

One sister, Antonella (that she knew of).

Loves food, dancing, and reading.

Cocky, confident, funny, bossy, infuriating, and kind.

Sandwich-maker extraordinaire, sink-installer, carriage-driver…

It was then that Betty realised that_ he_ instinctively knew things about_ her_ which others had never bothered to find out. Sometimes she felt like he knew her better than she wanted him to. She couldn't lie to him.

She cursed herself for not knowing his age, not asking more about his family, not knowing when his birthday was…

She heard the water and his singing start up again.

"_sings in the shower…" _Add that to the list, she thought with a grin.

Betty jumped out of her chair and crept across the room to the hook where Gio's jacket hung. She'd learnt a little from her escapades with MODE, so she took a mental note of which pocket his wallet was in, then opened it and looked for his licence.

06/01/82

He would be turning 26 on the first of June. Betty counted on her fingers… That was only three days away!

She slipped the licence back in the wallet, but not before laughing at his uber-serious photo, then placed the wallet back in the right pocket of his jacket.

His birthday. Now she understood why this trip was so urgent for him. As Betty sorted through her clothes she resolved to do something special for Gio, to figure out a little bit of _his_ fantasy and make it happen. She already had a few ideas, and she needed to make sure that he didn't work out what she was up to.

_the best is yet to come, and babe won't it be fine…_

As he sang, Gio grinned at his reflection in the shower door. 26. He closed his eyes as the water ran across his face.

Six months ago that thought would have depressed him a little. But now, with his five-year plan really underway, and Betty by his side, he was certain this would be the best birthday he'd had in a very long time.

_the best is yet to come, come the day you're mine!_

So he might have been a little selfish, pushing her to make such a big leap with him so soon after Henry. But he hadn't really planned it himself!

Well, he had always planned to come to Rome - as a boy his bedtime stories had been his papa's own versions of the great city and its history, his mama's lullabies were traditional canzoni. The timing had just seemed right, and as he saw how Betty glowed with pride and excitement at trying something new, he though a little push might be what she needed.

"Come to Rome with me"…

He remembered her reaction vividly, "Yes! … what?!"

What followed hadn't been so simple. Now they were here, he wanted to concentrate on making it an unforgettable first date.

…_come the day you're mine… I got plans for ya babe, and baby you're gonna fly…_

Gio stepped out of the shower and pulled a fresh towel from the rail. He buried his face in it, took a deep breath, and looked at his watch as it sat by the basin. 9am.

Betty was doing up the buttons on her purple blouse when she heard a knock. She walked over and unlocked the door, turned the handle and…

"Delivery for Miss Betty Suarez?"

The young woman held a bouquet of red tulips and white roses

"Ah, yes… um. That's me!" Betty blushed

"Good morning signorina," the woman smiled and passed the bouquet to Betty, "enjoy your stay in Roma."

"Thank you, I will."

The young woman nodded in response, and turned to leave with a slight smile on her lips. Betty beamed and turned back to the room, closing the door behind her.

She gazed at the flowers and walked over to sit on the neatly arranged bed. Gio must have tidied it while she was in the shower. For some reason that thought made her even happier, and she searched around the flowers for a note.

_Thank you for saying Yes_

Gio peeked his head around the door and saw Betty arranging the flowers in the vase he'd hidden in the back of the wardrobe. He let the door swing open and leant on the doorframe, a towel tied around his waist. As he did up the strap of his watch, he saw her bend to breathe in their scent and her hair fell across her face. He smiled.

She turned, walked to him, and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek, hands resting gently on his still-damp chest.

"You're welcome," she whispered in his ear, "Thank you for asking me."

As she leant to kiss him, he set his hands firmly on her waist. As their lips met, he lifted her towards him, took two steps forward and set her down slowly on the bed.

When he broke the kiss he saw her lying on the bed, looking up at him, the same surprised smile she had worn that day in the park.

He leant over her, dropped his head beside hers and kissed her neck, just below her ear. She felt his wet hair tickle her cheek and heard him whisper, "You're welcome. Now let's get you some breakfast"

Gio lifted himself to his feet and walked off to dress, and Betty rolled onto her side. As she watched him turn away it dawned on her that she might not be able to wait for dessert after all.


	3. First Impressions

Betty stepped out of the hotel lobby and waited for her eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. She took a deep breath, looked around, and exhaled. The morning buzz of traffic was beginning to subside. She could smell the heat of the warm cobblestones, and an occasional waft of coffee from the café next door. Men dressed for work dashed in and out, smiling, calling out to one another, and chattering in Italian. She looked up in shock as one walked past her. "Ciao, Bella!" He smiled and winked. Betty blushed, "ah…Ciao." He was gone. Weird. He had looked at her as though he knew her.

"You all set?" Gio stepped down to join her on the footpath and took her hand in his.

Betty, still a little flustered, said, "Yep, I think so"

"Good, I'm getting hungry," he grinned at her as they set off across the piazza, and noticed her expression, "okay?"

"Oh nothing, just some guy said hello to me like he knew me. He thought I was someone else."

Gio returned her puzzled expression. Then he clicked…

"Ciao, Bella?"

"Yeah, that's what he said"

Gio's grin returned, "You'll be getting a lot of that. Don't worry about it"

Betty was about to ask what she'd be getting a lot of, but instead blurted out "Gio, why are we going in here?"

"For breakfast."

"But there was a café by our hotel" she whispered under her breath as they entered another identical establishment, with a barista behind a long bar and two large espresso machines.

"I know, but Francesco said this one was better", Gio took up a place at the bar and waited for service.

"Who's Francesco?" Betty looked at him, still confused.

"The guy at the hotel, he said the _cornetto_ here are always fresh. Un café e un cornetto per favore." He turned to Betty, "Café?"

"No! Ah, um, non, grazie" she addressed the barista apologetically, "Gio, you know I can't have coffee!"

"Ah… riiiight. The crazy thing."

"Exactly…. What?!" she hit his shoulder.

"Vorremo una cioccolata calda, un café, e duo cornetti."

The barista grinned and turned to prepare their drinks. Betty spun around and shot at him,

"Hot chocolate? For breakfast? It's like, eighty degrees!"

Gio grinned; it was so easy to wind her up. "Fine, don't drink it."

She sighed and crossed her arms, then tapped her foot impatiently. Why did he have to be such an ass sometimes?

The barista set two saucers on the bar, placed a small croissant on each, then their drinks in tiny cups. Then he laid out another plate with their bill, and two glasses of water. Gio set the money on the plate, handed Betty her drink, and said, "Just try it, B."

Betty sighed and lifted the small cup to her lips. It was hot, dark, and rich. It smelt like intense cocoa, and the taste was totally different to Starbucks. It was thick, intense, and absolutely delicious.

Gio laughed at her expressions as he stirred two teaspoons of sugar into his coffee.

She glared at him over the top of her cup, and then nearly choked when he drank it in one swig.

"Are you nuts?"

Gio took a bite out of his pastry, then leaned against the bar and said, "I'm in a hurry"

Betty noticed that everyone seemed to be in a hurry – the older men stood at the bar slightly longer than the others, but they never sat to finish their coffee. The barista worked with effortless efficiency, turning out a coffee in thirty seconds, taking money and chatting with the patrons simultaneously. It was hectic, but in a completely different way from New York. No one took coffee to go, and it seemed like everyone ordered either _café _or _cappuccino_, with lots of sugar.

She finished her _cioccolato_ and tried the _cornetto_. It was flaky and buttery and melted in her mouth. "Thish ish rrealy ghud."

Gio laughed and choked a little on his own. "I'm glad, because it's all you're getting for a little while."

It was Betty's turn to choke.

Gio patted her on the back, "You'll be fine. We'll stop for lunch soon enough… I promise." he added, noticing her disappointment.

Betty realised that her hunger had actually subsided, so she finished her pastry, brushed her hands on the napkin and took a sip of water.

"Okay. Let's go"

They set off again, Gio leading the way, chatting to her about the places he thought they should visit today. He enjoyed watching her slight discomfort as he stepped out in front of moving cars, and her horror as they failed to stop but simply swerved to avoid them, sometimes across the centre line or dangerously close to badly parked cars. She began to ask him questions, what a sign said, how far they were from the different monuments she knew of, where he planned to go for lunch, how long it would be before they ate, could they go somewhere with bread sticks, whether he had any brothers and sisters other than Antonella…. Wait.

"Where did that come from?" He raised his eyebrows at her as they dodged another car half parked on the pavement.

"I was just wondering."

He raised his eyebrows again.

"Well, I was thinking about how I have to get presents for Justin and Hilda and Papi and Christina and Daniel and… I was wondering who you would be looking for."

She shrugged her shoulders and turned to gaze in the window of a store with brightly coloured silk ties displayed. "Oooh… Daniel would love that green one with the little yellow pinstripe…" She pulled against his hand to walk into the shop.

Gio tugged her hand in the opposite direction "Betty, we have plenty of time for shopping later… I thought you wanted to get a feel for the city?"

"Yeah, but I also want to feel what 100 percent Italian silk is like…" She leaned towards the open door.

"Later!" Gio pulled her firmly after him and trotted off to the next intersection.

Betty scuttled along beside him. "So?"

"So?" Gio looked at her, an expectant, open smile on her face, "Okay, well… There's Sofia…"

"You have two sisters?!" Betty cut him off excitedly.

"Hah! I wish!" Gio scoffed "She's just turned 28. Then there's me. Then Daniela, she's just turned 24. Then Marco and Teresa, 20 and 18 last week. Then Antonella." Betty stared at him in disbelief.

"Guess my parents got bored when the rest of us could dress and feed ourselves." He grinned and waved to acknowledge a driver that stopped to let them cross.

"So when's Antonella's birthday?"

"Tomorrow."

"Gio!" she smacked him on the shoulder, "Won't she be mad you missed it?!"

"Nah, I'll call her. But she won't have a party til, like October," he rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Really?"

"Yeah it got super expensive so my parents just spaced out our birthdays."

"So that explains the blizzard."

"What?"

"Your tenth birthday"

"Oh yeah. We celebrate mine in December," he explained with a nod of his head.

"So what's with the whole May thing?"

"I dunno. I guess my parents just have a thing for September..." He raised one eyebrow and gave Betty a sideways glance. She screwed up her face. Here it comes, he thought.

"Ew! Gio!" and she smacked him on the shoulder again. "How am I gonna look them in the eye when you take me home for dinner?"

"Who says I'm taking you home for dinner?" He smiled at his own joke and dodged another smack, "Just kidding… but seriously, you should be glad I haven't subjected you to the Rossi tornado."

"Shut up. You met Hilda. You even took her on a date! That's way beyond the call of duty. I bet they can't be worse than that." Betty shuddered a little at the memory of that night.

"Oh ho ho… you'd be surprised." He raised his eyebrows at her, also remembering his date with Hilda, but with quite a different feeling. He went quiet and checked a street sign as they passed. Betty took hold of his hand again and lowered her eyes, looking at their feet walking in unison.

Gio watched her quiet smile. He knew exactly how his family would react when they met Betty. He was half looking forward to it, half dreading it. Sofia would welcome her warmly, then interrogate her about her writing and her college and her plans for the next five years. Daniela would size her up in a minute, offer to take her shopping or sew her something, then grill her about working at MODE. Marco would be diplomatic and kind, but would cunningly take the piss out of Gio all night without letting Betty realise what was going on. Teresa was a gem. Quiet and calm, she probably wouldn't say much, but she would be paying close attention. She looked out for him, and he was pretty sure that she'd approve. And Antonella? Well she'd already made her first impression, and he couldn't really say he hadn't expected it. Antonella was blunt and always spoke her mind. She was headstrong and sometimes a little rash, and he loved her for it. His Papa would sit quietly until asked a question, then he would tell stories and ramble and Betty would sit politely and listen until someone interrupted and talked over him. His mama would greet her with an embrace, exclaim at her eldest son's good taste, and feed her. They might be a little surprised – she was different to the other girls he had dated. But they would love that she was an eater. Of that he was absolutely sure.

Imagining the scene he breathed a mental sigh of relief. He was relieved she hadn't asked about his birthday. He was looking forward to a quiet, personal celebration, with no siblings annoying him, no expectations and no disappointments. It would be perfect.

Betty stared at the rippling shadows lead them across the cobblestones, mulling things over in her head. She'd given him the perfect opening to come clean. He'd chosen not to. Very well then… she'd have to do her own digging and figure out how to make this a memorable birthday for him. A summer birthday. No blizzards, no siblings to compete with, and definitely no leftover cake. It would be perfect. She would make sure of it.


	4. Lessons in Spanish and Drainage

_AN: Thanks to Beatrice for the translation :D you rock!_

_AN II: I had a very delicious dream after writing this chapter. I hope St Gio blesses you all in similar ways... because it was hot. _

"Gio, where the hell are we going?"

He looked up at the buildings that lined what seemed like the hundredth narrow lane they'd walked down, looking for a street name.

"Are we lost?"

"Nope. We're in Rome" he replied matter of factly.

"Hah. Funny." Betty was clearly not amused. He hadn't let her stop to look in a single shop or church or deli…

"Aha… It should be just around this…"

"Woah!"

Betty drew a breath as they stepped out from the shaded narrow lane into a bright square buzzing with tourists and children and… Somalian street vendors selling counterfeit sunglasses and wallets and belts.

In the centre of the piazza stood a tall obelisk at the centre of a fountain, but she had noticed neither.

In front of her stood the huge and ancient façade of a temple, the semi-ruined pediment bearing pock-marks where sculptures had once been, but the lettering still intact.

M AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT

The rectangular portico with its huge granite columns seemed to join a large cylindrical building. Betty reached into her bag for her camera, but Gio stopped her.

"Not yet, B. See it for yourself first," He gave her a proud smile and began to tell her its story.

Gio could barely believe he was finally here. It was enormous. He had seen photos, and Marco, for whom the Emperor Hadrian was the greatest Roman to ever live, had built a scale model of it when he was 11. He knew what to expect, but what the photos and the books could never tell you was how it _felt_ to be standing, awestruck, in front of it. They didn't describe the sound of your footsteps on the marble floor, or the ringing echoes of voices underneath that ceiling.

As she walked between the columns and under the tall doorframe, Betty's eyes grew wider. She took in the sweeping marble interior, the sculptures, the ornate capitals of the columns, and then she gasped. A shaft of sunlight had momentarily blinded her. She stepped out of it, then looked up and allowed her eyes to relax. The roof was an enormous dome, with waffle-like tiles that cast shadows and clung to the ceiling. At the centre, a circular opening, and the blue sky. She shuffled to stand underneath it, still gazing upwards. She felt an arm slip around her waist, and felt him next to her.

"Beautiful, huh?"

They stood there for a long time, just admiring the building until Betty nudged him.

"Gio," she whispered, "there's just one thing I don't get…"

He looked down at her, hoping he could explain whatever she looked so confused by.

"What happened when it rained?"

He chuckled at her sincere question.

"Well, it rained!"

"Inside?"

"Sure. Look at the floor"

Betty looked down at her feet and followed the pattern of the marble tiles to find small holes in the floor at regular intervals.

"It's like a giant shower! How did they know how to do that?"

"What, you think they conquered half the world but couldn't figure out drainage?"

Betty felt a little foolish. "Oh yeah, I forgot… the sewers of Rome and all that…"

"Wanna go see one?"

"Yuck, Gio! No…" How could he even suggest that after they'd been somewhere so beautiful?

"Come on, it's special…" he grinned and led her out into the noisy piazza.

Once Betty had taken enough photos, of the Pantheon, the fountain, the street vendors, the ancient Latin sign that forbade any commerce in the piazza and the McDonalds sitting right alongside it, she reluctantly followed Gio back down a narrow winding lane.

"You're telling me you've never seen Roman Holiday?"

Gio stared at her in disbelief.

"What's the big deal?"

"It's a classic!"

"Well, I've never heard of it!"

Gio scoffed. "You need an education."

"I _have_ an education, thank you very much"

"Yeah, well… you need a Rossi education."

Betty rolled her eyes and Gio put on his Papa's voice, "Eh! What are they teaching you kids these days?" and he tickled Betty at her waist.

She leapt away from him and scuttled off a few feet, unable to contain her giggles.

"There are a few things I could teach you, Miss Suarez." he drawled, a slightly dodgy look crossing his face.

She scoffed… "There are a few more that I could teach you, _Signor Rossi_"

"Ooh… busting out the Italian… what a comeback," he goaded her.

Betty stopped dead in her tracks. Gio walked on, chuckling to himself…

Until he felt something cold and wet slide down his back, underneath his white shirt, and something else wet and hot touch the back of his neck.

"Hay tantas cosas que quiero enseñarte…" a whisper in his ear.

"Holy Shit, Betty! That was freaking cold!" he spun around and saw the cheeky smile on her face, "Did you just take that out of someone's glass?!" Gio peered behind her and saw the shocked tourists sitting at an outdoor table, looking at their now-empty vessel. He didn't notice her cupping something in her hand…

More ice, down the front of his shirt this time. She raced off down the street, stumbling into surprised pedestrians in her way. He managed to salvage one of the cubes as it fell from the bottom of his untucked shirt and chased her down, catching her as she turned a corner and pressing her into a wall.

"You think you can get away with that, B?"

He braced the wall on either side of her, one leg forward blocking her escape. He leant forward and kissed her hard on the mouth, their lips crushed together and his tongue pushing against hers. She returned the kiss, enjoying the taste of him, the smell of his slight perspiration, mixed with his cologne. He moved his right hand to hold the back of her head steady, then carefully slipped the ice cube down the front of her shirt. She gasped into his mouth, as it began to melt in her cleavage, but he held her close. Her hand crept under his shirt, around the waistband of his light, woven pants, towards his stomach.

He shivered in pleasure as her fingers trailed across his lower abdominals, then it was his turn to gasp.

"That'll learn ya!" she broke the kiss and patted his cheek before slipping from his grasp and taking off down the street again.

Gio, momentarily paralysed by the ice cold, cursed quietly and leapt around in his pants, shaking the waistband and breathing in shallow gasps. An old mama peered at him in concern, and he shook his head apologetically "Scusi, Signora… scusi".

He took off after Betty, still trying to retrieve the last of the melting ice from his numbed nether regions as he ran. Ooohhhh she's gonna get it!

He reached an intersection and realised that he didn't know which way she had turned, and that he definitely couldn't see her now. Feeling defeated, he took a punt and started to walk down the street to the left, trying to warm some feeling back into himself without offending anyone or getting arrested. He looked sketchily from side to side at every doorway. He'd played this game too many times with his siblings, he knew that at any second she would be…

"Boo." She whispered it in his ear.

He jumped away from her and spun around, hands out in front of him, warding her off. He stepped back slowly… she still had a mischievous look in her eyes and was holding her hands behind her back.

"Woah… okay. Truce?" he offered.

"Hmmmm…." She pondered, then her face broke into a smile, she held her empty hands out in front of her, "Truce."

He exhaled, then looked from side to side.

"Where the hell did you come from?" he stood looking at her in disbelief. Wherever she had been hiding, she could sure move fast.

"The Master cannot reveal her secrets…", Betty's eyes sparkled, then she shrugged and grinned, "Didn't I ever tell you I was a ninja in a past life?"

"Aha… well that explains… ouch," his crotch was starting to sting. He looked down and noticed the wet mark on his shirt, but luckily not so visible on his dark pants, "Geez, Betty, you got me good."

Betty's eyes followed his and she rushed towards him, genuine concern on her face, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realise… I'm sorry." Her face was starting to flush.

He looked down and noticed the wet seeping through the front of her blouse.

"Hmm… I think I can forgive you," he grinned, taking her in his arms again, "but _only_ if you promise to warm the little guy up later."

Betty hid her face in her hands, peeking at Gio's sincere eyes through her fingers.

"I'll try to make it up to him." She couldn't hide her smile.

"Yeaahhh… hear that little man?"

He turned to his crotch again, a satisfied smile on his face, then raised his eyebrows at Betty. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, "Oh, come on"

"I intend to," a smutty grin creeping onto his lips.

"You can make anything dirty!"

"I intend to."

They set off back towards the cloaca maxima, arm in arm, and when they arrived to see all of the tourists lining up for their photo, Gio tried to keep Betty distracted from the action. It was his turn to get her good.

So he set up the gag. He told her the whole story, unrolling his shirt sleeves as he spun some line about how Roman Holiday was famous for this scene where the guy gets his hand bitten off in front of the woman he loves. Then it was their turn, and he got her to set up a photo as he put his hand in, then pulled off what he thought was a very convincing shriek of horror, pulled out his dismembered arm, and waited for her scream.

It didn't come. She just took the picture.

"What the? Betty?"

"Can you do it again, I don't think it took it."

He waved the handless arm around in front of him, "Don't you care that my hand just got bitten off??"

"What do you expect?! You're not honest!" she giggled at her own joke. "What? Oh," she saw his disappointment. "Come to think of it, maybe I have seen that movie? That face thing looks familiar. But I think the version I saw was a telenovela." She shrugged her shoulders at him apologetically, and he slumped away from the giant face. It seemed to be mocking him as the other tourists snorted at his misfortune.

"Ah, Gio?"

He turned back to see Betty handing him the camera,

"Can you get a photo of me with it?"

As she posed with the sewer lid, he framed up the shot and casually said "so you know what Cloaca Maxima means in Latin?"

"Nope!" she returned her face to the "shriek of horror" expression.

"Giant asshole," Gio took the shot just as her face contorted in true disgust.

"Ew Gio! That's disgusting!" She snatched her hand from the mouth and chased after him, much to the delight of their audience. The next couple stepped forward, a little more reluctant to take their place at the mouth of Rome's most famous sewer.


	5. Pizza al Taglio

"Oh man! Don't make me pick one!"

Gio chuckled at her exasperation

"I can't decide!"

"Well, narrow it down for me…"

"ummmm… ah. That one, orrrrr…. That one. Or that one" She twisted her face in confusion, then turned to Gio hopefully.

"You won't like that last one. We'll take some of each of these two" He smiled at the very patient young man behind the counter, who reached forward into the glass cabinet and gestured at a length of pizza al taglio.

"Oh, a little more than that… please" Betty smiled sweetly, practically salivating at the sight of the rocket, buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce and prosciutto.

He began to cut across the huge rectangular pizza with a pair of sharp scissors, weighed her slice, then slipped it onto a stone tray and slid the tray into the oven to his right. Betty could smell the cheese beginning to melt, the light dough flaking and turning golden brown. She gazed in awe at the 20 or so different pizzas laid out in front of her – margherita, napoli, cappriciosa, marinara, quattro stagioni… In a minute, her pizza was sliced in half, one piece in a small box and the other placed on a napkin and placed on the top of the cabinet.

Gio smiled to himself as Betty snatched the slice and began devouring it immediately. Her eyes half-closed as she took the first bite, feeling the warm, stretchy cheese, the spicy rocket, smoky prosciutto, sweet tomato and crispy dough melt into her mouth. The fragrance was unbelievable, and Gio laughed out loud when she turned to him, "This is freakin… amazing!" with her glasses fogged from the steaming pizza.

She wandered out to the street in a daze, tripping over a chair and stumbling on the threshold. Gio picked up both their boxes, paid, and joined her, folding his own slice in half and tasting it.

Perfect.

"What the hell did you fold it in half for?!"

He looked at her shocked expression and stared blankly back at her.

"I don't know." He thought for a minute, "maybe so it doesn't flop around? We just eat it that way."

Betty scoffed, "Sacrilege."

Gio laughed at her outrage. "It tastes better this way!"

"Whatever, you just want to turn everything into a sandwich."

He eyed her up and down. Her skin was flushed from the afternoon heat, her purple blouse had dried but she'd unbuttoned the collar and untucked it from her flowing, knee length skirt.

"Maybe you're right. I can think of a few things I'd like to sandwich…"

Betty rolled her eyes at him. "I swear… anything…"

"What?!" he put on his very best innocent face "Can I help it if I have a gift for double entendre?"

"Hah. A gift. More like a mind that is permanently in the gutter."

"Hm. Depends on the gutter." He laughed at his own joke and sauntered ahead of her, crossing in front of a scooter, causing a screeching swerve and Betty's heart to stop momentarily. She scuttled after him and hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow. Geez, Betty. You need to chill out."

"Do you mind if we find somewhere to sit?" She looked a little flustered.

"Sure. How about over there?"

He gestured to a stretch of grass alongside the pavement, dotted with trees and picnicking tourists. They made their way to a shady spot, and Betty settled herself down to lean against the smooth trunk of a young pine.

Gio perched next to her, took the last bite of his pizza, and laid out on the grass, arms folded behind his head.

"You ate that fast."

"Yep," he lifted himself onto his elbows and looked Betty straight in the eye, "that's why we fold them, so we can eat faster!"

Betty began to laugh at his expression of realisation. He sat up.

"I'm serious! With five siblings you have to eat fast or you don't eat! When we got a bit older we got wise… everything had to be divided into perfect eighths."

Betty smiled at the thought of a young Gio measuring out his portions, counting out sun-dried tomatoes. She wondered if that was how he'd come up with his formula of three per sandwich.

Gio's tone changed, smiling at his own memories, "I remember Daniela was so obsessed with my aunt's flan that when papa brought it to the table…" he mimed the scene from her, "she would leap from her seat and shout, 'NOBODY MOVE!' then run out of the room, ten seconds later she'd be back with a protractor to measure out the exact degrees of our pieces!"

Betty laughed in disbelief.

"I kid you not!" Gio was laughing now, "And we didn't really watch television, so if Pop wanted some entertainment, he'd cut the slices…" he mimed his father serving even portions, "here you go Gio, Teresa this is yours, Marco…" then a much larger slice "… and _this _one's for Antonella!" with an evil grin. Gio switched back to his own voice, "then he'd just stand back and watch the fireworks."

Betty was in stitches, curled up where she sat and shaking with laughter.

"I want to meet them," she said in between her chuckling.

"You will. Soon enough. What about you? What was it like growing up with Hilda?" he gave her a knowing smile.

Betty almost choked on a piece of rocket. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she nodded and grinned warmly, "It was an adventure."

Gio took his second slice of pizza from the box, snuggled in next to her and put an arm around her shoulder as they both enjoyed the shade of the tree.

"She's always had an attitude. It got her into trouble sometimes, and she did some pretty rash things, but you couldn't help forgive her, you know?" She turned to Gio, he just nodded, his mouth full, "you can't help but love her. It might sound strange, but she's my rock. I know I'll always be able to depend on her."

Gio looked at her sincerely, "she understands you."

"Yeah, she does." A grin broke across her face. "I remember in third grade there was this one boy, Tommy Garguilio. He just hassled me for a whole week, taking my books, leaving gross things on my desk, following me and calling me names"

"Ha! I went to school with his brother… he was exactly the same, always picking on the girls he liked." Gio offered her a bite of his pizza.

Betty rolled her eyes but tasted the slice he held out to her. Delicious. Tomato, anchovies, olives, red onion, more mozzarella…

"So…" he prompted her as she sat in a daze.

"Um… oh yeah. Well, when Hilda found out about it, she slipped a note into his locker and told him to meet her after school."

Gio grinned in anticipation, "I bet she dotted the i of her name with a love heart too…"

Betty continued, "So he told everyone she liked him and that they were going to meet and at the end of the day his whole class followed him out. You know how Hilda loves an audience? Well she put on a show, twirling her hair, fluttering her eyelids…

"Hiii Tommy… I'm so glad you came. I was so nervous. There was just something I wanted to ask you,"" Betty imitated her sister's sickly sweet voice.

"so he's grinning away to his buddies, "Uh, sure," then Hilda takes him by the hand and leads him around the side of the classroom building, away from the crowd. The next thing you know, there's a yelp and a "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" and Hilda saunters out of the playground, followed by a very red-faced Tommy, clutching his shoulder and stumbling towards the school gate."

"Ouch… what did she do to him?"

"I don't know, but Hilda was about a foot taller than all the guys in her year so no one fell for that again. He left me alone after that."

"Classy. Man I can just imagine the look on his face."

Gio smiled and settled his head on Betty's shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed in the warm afternoon. He heard the chatter of tourists, the traffic, birds singing and Betty, breathing softly.

Betty rested her head against the trunk of the tree and savoured her last bite of pizza. She wondered what Hilda would be doing now, about Justin and Papi. She wanted to bring them here someday, she though, as she looked at the scene in front of her. The heat rose off the street in a mirage, as traffic continued to zip by, dodging tourists and locals. The sky was turning an even deeper blue, if that was possible, and shadows were beginning to lengthen. Betty began to notice the women that walked past, high heels clicking on the street, their heads held high, dark hair and tanned skin glowing in the sun. They walked with a confidence that she admired. She noticed their clothes – dresses that clung to their bodies, skirts that showed off long lean legs, plunging necklines. She shifted uncomfortably and looked down at herself. These weren't the anorexic, insecure girls she was used to comparing herself to back home. They reminded her of Hilda, but more exotic, of course. Two women approached, talking quickly to one another. The rhythm of their voices caught her attention. The taller of the two was telling the other something important. She spoke passionately, gesturing, and occasionally touching the other's arm to make a point. They both wore knee-length skirts and business shirts, with large sunglasses, patent leather handbags, and very high heels. Their hair was perfectly coiffed, their skin flawless. They were wearing makeup but it was understated. Just then, the petite woman grasped her friend by the shoulder. The two stopped dead on the street and gasped in horror as a handsome young man rounded the corner of the next block. The taller woman began to tremble and then shake. The other tried to comfort her, to turn her away in the other direction, but the woman stood firm. The man was oblivious, wandering along towards them, hands in the pockets of his long beige trousers, his white shirt open a few buttons. Betty felt like she was watching a telenovela unfold in front of her as the upset woman strutted towards him, arms swinging, face set staunchly. He noticed her as she came within six feet and stood still. His expression changed as she began to shout at him. She spoke even faster, visibly upset and shouted over him as he tried to interrupt, "Maria, mi dispiace,"

"Non!"

Smack. She slapped him, hard, across the cheek and stormed past him.

Her friend scuttled to catch up to her, spitting an insult in the direction of the man as she ran by.

Betty was stunned. Gio had lifted his head to watch the commotion, as had most of the picnicking tourists.

"What was that about?" Betty whispered.

Gio sighed and settled his head back on Betty's shoulder. "No idea… I wasn't listening." An amused grin crept over his face, "Maybe he tried to kiss her"

Betty blushed bright red. She stammered a little before spluttering, "Gio! You practically ambushed me! And… and… what was I supposed to do?!" her mouth gaped slightly open.

Gio sat up and looked at her, smiling as she became more flustered, "Kiss me back, maybe?"

"Well… well at least _I_ didn't hit you in public!"

"And that makes it better?" He enjoyed teasing her like this.

"No," she lowered her head

"You wanted to finish what Egg Salad started? Break my nose properly"

Betty flinched a little at the mention of Henry's temper.

Her voice quietened, "I guess you just surprised me."

Gio watched as her eyes dropped and she fiddled with her blouse.

"I guess I surprised me too."

Betty looked up at him, at his kind eyes, and realised he wasn't mad at all, or bitter. She recognised that expression.

He placed a hand on her knee, "No offence B, but, you hit like a girl."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Us Rossi's don't scare easy. You're going to have to do some serious damage to this perfect jaw if you want to get rid of me." Betty sighed, relieved, and kissed his cheek. "I'll keep that in mind."

He settled himself back on her shoulder now, holding her hand in his, and traced her fingers in soft strokes.

Betty remembered the expression on his face as she had fled the deli that day. She remembered how confused and guilty she felt. She had been angry. But not with Gio. She was angry with herself, she had to admit, for enjoying it. She was angry with Henry for leaving her by herself. She was angry that she didn't have the guts to go back in and kiss him again. And she had been scared. Scared at what people would think if they knew how she felt, and scared what Gio would think of her now.

Then she remembered how he had teased her that night at the dance. How she had been embarrassed but strangely relieved at Amanda and Mark's reactions. She was annoyed at his cockiness, then jealous of his ease with the kids, then frightened of her own feelings as they danced together. But he hadn't let her get away with running off for a second time that day. He hadn't been angry or annoyed at her then either. Betty smiled at the memory of his advice. Somehow Gio could excite her, scare her, and make her feel completely safe with a turn of his head, a touch of his hand, a smile or a word. It was an understanding that she hadn't experienced before.

Gio shook himself and opened his eyes.

"Okay I'm gonna fall asleep right here if we don't get going again."

"Oh, okay? What were you thinking?"

"Well, maybe one more stop, but then perhaps we should head back for a siesta? Jet lag and all?"

"Sounds good to me," Betty was relieved at the idea of that comfortable bed, "but can we try not to walk too far?"

Gio's eyes sparkled. "Sure, we can get the subway."

Somehow he knew that public transport, Italian style, might rub Betty up the wrong way.


	6. When in Rome

"Everyone needs to like, get a room" Betty whispered to Gio in disgust.

He grinned at her, then stood up abruptly. Betty followed his gaze and saw an elderly couple entering their car. She jumped out of her seat and gestured for them to take it. The woman smiled kindly at Betty and nodded in thanks. Betty smiled widely and nodded in return, taking a step backwards and tripping over Gio's foot. He caught her and held her steady until she could grab a handhold in time for the car to start moving again. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and huffed a sigh.

Gio's dimple began to appear, "Having fun?"

"Ugh," Betty turned away from him and pretended to neaten her blouse. As she raised her head she came face to face with another young couple, neck deep in one another's throats, oblivious to the people around them. "Gross…"

Gio raised one eyebrow, "I say if they wanna kiss, let 'em kiss! They're not hurting anyone."

Betty scanned the car to gauge the reactions of the others, looking for someone to back up her disapproval. All she found was a middle aged man, slumped in his seat half asleep, two young girls chatting excitedly, and no less than four couples, equally preoccupied with one another. Finally, she looked down at the little old couple next to them. They were snuggled into one another, the man holding his wife's hands tenderly and gazing at her face as she talked quietly. They were in their own world.

She avoided Gio's gaze. "How much longer?"

"Just a couple of stops," he was enjoying her obvious discomfort.

As the car became more crowded, Betty moved closer and closer to Gio, partly to avoid bumping others, and partly to shield her eyes from the lovers that seemed to surround her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bent to kiss her cheek.

She shrugged him off, "Gio!" she hissed, "It's called _public_ transport for a reason."

"Come on, B." He whispered in her ear, "Haven't you heard the saying?"

"Get a room?"

Gio locked eyes with her and curled one side of his mouth into a smile.

"When in Rome"

"Yeah bu… mmmm"

For a minute all she could register was the taste of his breath, his scent, his warm lips, and the firm muscles of his chest and arms cradling her as the train rattled along. Then sense kicked in and she pulled away, her shoulders tensed and her face flushed. She looked away in embarrassment and saw the elderly woman grinning in her direction. Betty hid her head in Gio's shoulder.

His smell was intoxicating, she had to admit. He kissed her ear and began to hum a little melody to her. Her shoulders dropped and softened, her breathing slowed, and she had an urge to kiss him again.

"This is our stop"

"What? Oh. Um okay."

Gio led her off the train and up the stairs towards the sunlight.

Betty scuttled after him, trying to keep up with his brisk, long strides and figure out where they were at the same time.

"Here we are…"

Betty looked up from the steps and was awestruck for the second time that day.

"Oh my God! They put a Metro station right next to it?"

"Well, you gotta admit it's convenient" Gio shrugged his shoulders.

"You said we were going to some Flavvy thing!"

"The Flavian Amphitheatre, yeah. This is it."

"This is the Colosseum, Gio."

"Uh, I know, Betty." He spun her around and pointed at the name of the station they'd just emerged from. Colosseo. Ah.

She turned again to take in the view. Across the bustling street, with hundreds of tourists lined outside, and somewhat less bright and shiny than it had been in _Gladiator_, was the iconic circular building. To her left stretched a long road, more ruins either side of it into the distance. Gio led her across the street and the walked silently around the arches, occasionally pointing out an inscription or a sculpture. Once they'd done a full lap, Betty headed towards the line of tourists. Gio pulled her away.

"Not today B. I'm getting a little tired. And that line doesn't look like it's going anywhere fast."

"But we're here now!"

"We have a _month_ remember – let's not rush it."

As they headed off along the via dei fori imperiali, they passed a large and very finely sculpted triumphal arch. Gio translated what he could of the inscriptions, deciphered the sculpted scenes and told Betty of its history. The large ruins that flanked the long straight street were, Gio explained, the remains of the Roman forum on the left and the Trajan forum on the right. Betty quietly admired the different shades of stone, the remaining columns of a circular temple, a large soaring column with sculpted battle scenes set on a huge pedestal. And then,

"What the hell is that?!"

From a distance it had looked like a large white building, but as they came closer Betty realised that the huge white monstrosity at the end of this street was a single monument, set into the hill. It was adorned with garish sculptures, a series of stepped terraces, a large colonnade and a massive equestrian statue.

"That," Gio said with a pompous air, "is the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, built in 1895 of pure white Brescian marble to honour the first king of a unified Italy. It houses the Museum of Reunification and is generally abhorred by Romans and foreigners alike."

"Wow. It's kindof garish."

"Huh. I'll say."

"Daniel would love it."

Gio scoffed and looked at Betty, unconvinced.

"Think about it. It's big, white, waaay over the top, and completely useless!"

"True. A custom designer monument gone wrong."

"Absolutely."

They stood staring at the Wedding Cake (as Gio began to call it) for a few minutes, then wandered the few remaining blocks back to the hotel.

The heat was actually beginning to ease, but Betty felt tired and droopy. Her hair was frizzing in the humidity, no matter how often she smoothed it down. Her skin felt clammy and she longed for the air-conditioned room. The shadows of buildings were much longer now, and the traffic was picking up. More people emerged onto the street, and Betty couldn't help noticing with slight annoyance that all the women seemed as primped and pretty as they had that morning. Their clothes were perfectly fitted, their hair shone smoothly, and they moved with effortless grace. When they reached the hotel foyer Betty ignored the greeting of the concierge and began to clump up the stairs.

Gio paused by the desk, "you head on up, I'll just be a minute."

Betty opened the door and flopped onto the bed, stretching her legs over the edge and kicking off her shoes. She gazed out the window and wondered what her family were doing. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled the familiar number.

"Hilda!! It's me!"

"Oh my god, Betty!" Hilda squealed down the phone and Betty had to move it away from her ear a little, "How's Rome? How was your flight? Are you having a good time? Did you…. you know, yet? How's Gio?!"

"It's so beautiful here, Hilda, and kinda crazy at the same time. The flight sucked but I'm here and the room Daniel got us is beautiful. Gio's fine, he… we…" Betty paused, "can I talk to Papi please?"

"Betty! You are not getting away with that! Details girl! I want details!!" Betty heard a commotion in the background and Hilda's voice fading to a distant squeal,

"Hello mija, I miss you so much!"

"Hi Papi, I miss you too." Betty relaxed at the sound of her father's voice.

"I hope that boy is taking care of you… He seemed pretty tired when he called us."

"Yeah we just came back to the hotel for a siesta"

Her father's tone changed "Betty, have you thought about what I said…"

"Ay Papi, leave her alone! She's old enough to take care of herself" Betty heard Hilda in the background.

"It's fine Papi, we're… fine. I'm okay."

"Well, have a good time okay? And don't forget to eat."

Betty laughed, as though she could forget to eat with Gio around…

"I won't, the food here is _amazing_, and we haven't even had a real meal yet"

"Don't you come back skinnier than you are, mija"

"no chance. Hey… could I talk to Justin?"

"Sure, he's just heading off to school…"

"Justin, get down here! Your aunt's on the phone!" Hilda's voice was unmistakeable.

She heard quick footsteps

"I love you Betty, take care of yourself."

"You too, Papi."

"Aunt Betty?!" Justin had inherited his mother's squeal, and Betty had to move the phone away from her ear again.

"Hi Justin! How are you? How's school?"

"I'm like, totally jealous, but otherwise I'm good. Are you having an _amazing _time?"

"Yes, but there's something I wanted to ask you, could you do me a favour?"

"Sure! What's up?"

"I need your help, you see…"

Betty tried to explain quickly, before Gio returned. She knew Justin would be able to get the information out of Antonella, plus some hints about what she wanted for her _own_ birthday. Betty realised they hadn't got off to the best start and she felt guilty for taking Antonella's big brother out of town on her special day.

Justin agreed excitedly and she promised to call again the next day to get details. They said goodbye, sent virtual hugs to one another, and hung up just as Gio opened the door.

"I booked us a table for tonight at a really nice place a few blocks away. Not too flash, just really good food and good music."

"Oooh, that sounds nice." Betty greeted him with a hug. He kissed her forehead and then moved away towards the bed. Betty, distracted with thoughts of Justin and Hilda and Papi began to undo her blouse. She looked up to see Gio about to pull his shirt over his head. Their eyes met, and both froze awkwardly.

"Uhm… I think I'll just pop in here" Gio gestured to the bathroom, then slipped his arm back into the shirt and grabbed a singlet from his bag.

Betty looked at him and stood, frozen, for a few more seconds.

She shook herself and remembered her father's words. As she changed into a singlet and boxers, she began to doubt the wisdom of sharing a room. She really hadn't known him long. But the thought of _not_ waking up next to him was just as uncomfortable now. Last night she'd just collapsed and hadn't thought about it.

Gio looked at himself in the mirror.

"Snap out of it," he told his reflection, "you've got a month. No need to rush anything. If she doesn't want to be in the same bed we can sort something out."

He washed his face with cold water. Dammit.

If only they'd been drunk. It was different going to bed with someone when you were stone cold sober in the middle of the afternoon. But he was getting tired. He took a breath and walked back into the room.

Betty was sitting at the table in the same clothes she'd slept in. Her hair was tied back and she was fiddling with her nails and looking out the window. Gio broke the silence gingerly, "Hey. Um, I was just thinking that if you're not okay with the whole same bed thing we could organise something else?"

Betty looked surprised and then her face settled, "No, no, it's fine. I'm fine with that."

"Because I wouldn't be offended if you just…" _liar_, he thought to himself, then shrugged, "because Daniel booked this room and, well, I'm not Daniel and you're not one of his ladies and…" he began to ramble. He sometimes did this when he was nervous.

Betty had to stifle a laugh. Why was he so nervous?

"Gio, it's fine. I just need a nap, and I trust you not to jump me."

Gio's nodded silently, "Not that I don't want you to jump me. At some stage. Um…" Betty blushed for the umpteenth time that day. Now it was her turn to ramble. "I'm twenty four, Gio! It's not like I'm a virgin!" _Hilda?!_ Betty thought… how did you get into my head?!

"So it's not only virgins that get uptight about PDAs? Really? You coulda fooled me" Gio teased.

"Just because I don't see the need for excessive public affection doesn't mean…"

"It's okay, I get it." Gio cut her off and held his hand out to usher her toward the bed. He folded back the covers and helped her climb in, then tucked the duvet over and kissed her forehead. Betty watched in amusement as he scampered around to the other side and slipped between the sheets. They both lay with only their heads exposed, staring straight up at the ceiling for a few minutes.

"You tired?" Betty spoke.

"Very. But not sleepy yet."

"Neither." She rolled onto her side and looked at him. Gio turned towards her and lifted one arm out from under the sheet, settling it on top of the cover.

"Why is this weird?"

"Because we're sober and it's…" Betty reached out and took Gio's wrist, checking his watch, "three in the afternoon."

Gio propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head in his palm, "Perfect time for a siesta"

"So siesta."

"I intend to" Betty giggled at the dozy half-smile he gave her and hid her face under the cover a little. "I just want you to know that I am a fairly vivid dreamer, and I cannot be held responsible for my actions whilst asleep."

"I won't hold it against you" she replied, diplomatically.

Gio's eyes began to droop. "Hmmm… thanks"

Betty watched the curve of his shoulder tense and then loosen as he rolled back off his elbow and snuggled back into the pillow.

"Gio?"

"Ya huh?"

"Can I have a cuddle?"

"Only if you promise not to molest me in my sleep."

"What does it matter? You'll be asleep." she teased.

"Dreams, remember? I respond to stimuli even whilst asleep." He opened one eye and peered over at her, "I'll know…"

She rolled her eyes and he reached over, pulling her under his arm and enjoying the smell of her hair, her soft body next to his.

Betty smiled and kissed his shoulder under her head. She felt the breeze through the window and his hand stroking her shoulder as she drifted off. She felt safe.


	7. A Pep Talk

"B, we're gonna be late for our reservation if you don't get your ass out here… now."

Silence.

"Don't make me come in there and get you."

No reply.

Gio set down his jacket on the bed and tapped lightly on the door of the bathroom, suddenly concerned, "Betty? You okay?"

"Ah… yeah… I'm just, um, I'll be a minute."

_Pull yourself together_, she thought, _It's just dinner with Gio._

"Can I come in?"

"What for? I just…" the door opened and Gio's head poked around.

Betty was standing in front of the mirror, still wearing the clothes she'd slept in, glasses in hand, teary-eyed and looking defeated. He ducked around the door and swept in behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing her cheek.

"Hey! What's wrong? Don't you want to go out?"

"I do, I just…" How could she explain it? Betty looked at Gio's reflection. He looked sad and worried.

"Do you miss your family?"

"No! I mean, yes, but that's not it. It's stupid, don't worry…"

"If it's making you feel sad then it's not stupid." He took the glasses from her hands and sat them down next to the basin. Then he turned his head to kiss her neck and cradled her in his arms. "Talk to me, B."

She felt like an idiot.

"I just, well… I mean normally I don't care! I know I'm not model material but I'm fine, you know? And at MODE I can just ignore it but, here, Gio, the women are beautiful!"

Her eyes widened at his reflection, and he nodded his head, finally understanding, "And I should be used to the whole ugly duckling thing but I just feel like they're looking at me and wondering why I'm with you and I can't relax and I…"

He cut her off mid-sentence.

"Betty. Listen to me. I'm going to tell you two things, and I want you to remember them. Okay?" He looked at her intently.

She bit her lip and nodded back.

"Firstly, you're right. The women here are different."

"That's for sure," she rolled her eyes, remembering the theatrics she'd witnessed earlier.

"Women in New York dress for _other women_."

Betty raised her eyebrows. What the hell was he talking about?

"You think straight men care what label you're wearing?" Gio raised his eyebrows in reply. "If we're admiring your clothes it's because we're imagining them on our floor." Gio said, matter of factly.

Betty chuckled, despite herself

"No. The difference is that Italian women dress for their men." His tone changed, he was smiling now, "They're confident and beautiful because they're not constantly looking at each other! They notice the way _men_ react to them. Plus they spend about three hours every morning getting ready. I know – I've lived with them."

Betty smiled a little, and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"What's the second thing?" she asked.

His matter of fact tone returned.

"That you're beautiful."

Betty switched her gaze and saw him staring straight into her eyes. They were beginning to well with tears again.

"You know the first thing I noticed about you?"

She opened her mouth.

"…And don't say braces." He interrupted.

She closed her mouth self-consciously and looked down.

He lifted her chin and met her gaze in the mirror.

"Your eyes" he smiled at the memory. "Those eyes of yours! I _love_ those little red frames and the colour of your eyes was just… wow."

Betty started to blush as she saw his expression change.

"And you were funny!" He added with a grin. "Then your smile, the way you said 'welcome'!" tilting his head and mimicking her voice.

"And you ordered a _real_ sandwich," Betty grimaced… "and then you kinda pissed me off." Gio shrugged… He was still standing behind her and now he lifted his arms either side of her body, "I guess it helped that you had _these_ to keep me distracted…" he gestured in a circular motion at her breasts, smiling a cocky smile as Betty scoffed, her mouth and eyes wide in disbelief.

"And mmm…" his eyes left the reflection and he took a step backwards to admire her figure as he slid his hands down over her hips. Betty spun away from him but he called her bluff and grabbed her by the waist again, pressing her against the basin. She grabbed hold of the wall on either side of her to keep her balance. He kissed her gently on the mouth and continued.

"These lips Betty…. These are lips to kiss…" He kissed her again, slightly longer.

"I swear, sometimes when you're talking to me I just tune out watching them… mm!" He bit his lower lip and stared at her mouth.

Betty was calm now, just listening to him, a warm sensation rising through her body.

He lifted both hands and slid them either side of her neck, lifting her long hair up and away from her face. She half closed her eyes at the feel of his fingers,

"That _beautiful_ neck," he leant forward and brushed his lips along one side of it, inhaling the smell of her perfume, "those cheekbones," he kissed them close to the corners of her eyes, both sides, "and you have this little spot where your jaw line," he traced it with the tip of his nose, "meets your neck," he breathed the words almost silently "…just below your ear" he took one gentle bite at the lobe of her ear, then slid his lips down to find it, "and it's _so soft_" he sunk his lips into the spot and kissed slowly, massaging the skin gently with his tongue, trailing around under her ear, nuzzling aside her hair as he went. One hand supported her neck, the other slipped back around her middle, holding her firmly as her spine tingled and her breathing became heavy.

She whispered "I think we're gonna be late for dinner"

He growled into her neck,

"Fuck it" and kissed her on the mouth, dipping his tongue to taste her lips briefly, "I think I wanna get straight to dessert…"

Betty was gobsmacked. She'd never been told she was beautiful. Well, not like that anyway. And the way he looked at her… it was like she was a delicacy that had been prepared especially for him. Come to think of it, that was kind of how he kissed her – like he was tasting her, enjoying every bite, every lick, every aroma. The thought gave her butterflies in her stomach. Betty lifted one hand to rest on his arm, feeling the cotton of his black shirt. With the other hand she guided his head up and found his lips with hers. She ran her fingers through his hair and his lips trembled as he moaned in response.

Betty smelt good enough to eat. Like jasmine and orange blossom, with a slight hint of spice. He made a mental note to try and recreate the taste of her in a dessert, then felt her tongue dipping into his mouth. He met it with his own and crushed his lips against hers. Betty slipped her tongue over his lower lip and bit gently, sucking on it rhythmically. The tip of her tongue danced at the point between his chin and his lip. As she began to nibble his lip again his hand around her waist began to move of its own accord. It travelled across the small of her back, down the line of her hip, and rested just above the curve of her butt. Gio focused on her reactions as he moved their bodies closer together, slowly advancing until his hips met hers.

Betty let a slight moan escape her lips as she felt him pressing against her. She felt her knees weaken for a fraction of a second and his hand grasp her body more firmly, pulling her towards him. As he slowly ground their bodies together she felt a tingling warmth rise from the soles of her feet.

Gio noticed as her kissing slowed, her soft lips parted from his and her breaths lengthened. When her kisses stopped altogether he stood still. He kissed her gently on her still parted lips and drew back. Her eyes were closed, her hands clung to him, and it took her a few moments to shake off the daze, "mmm," she pressed her lips together, tasting him.

"Now we wouldn't want that pep talk to go to waste, would we?" Gio whispered into her ear, "Be ready in five, I'll see you downstairs."

Gio smacked her on the bum as he slipped out of the room, smiling to himself about what was to come that evening.

Betty staggered a little as she turned herself around to look in the mirror. Her face was warm, pink across the cheeks. Her hair was messed up, her lips red and full, and the strap of her singlet had slipped off again. She'd never felt more beautiful.

_AN:_

_Sorry for the teasing ladies... I promise it will be worth the wait_

_M_


	8. Good Omens

"Wow."

Gio's jaw gaped as he took in the woman that walked down the staircase towards him.

"That sure was some pep talk. I think I missed my calling."

As he approached her, glancing up and down, admiring every move she made, Betty replied quietly, "What calling? Working girls into a state of frenzy and then ditching them?" She raised her eyebrows and one corner of her mouth rose into a sly smirk.

It had been exactly five minutes. Her hair was slightly tousled still, but glossy from the shower that morning. It was swept back from her face into a clip, and small strands fell around her temples. Her skin was glowing, her red glasses sparkled, and she wore only mascara and lip gloss. Her dark burgundy dress brought out the warmth in her skin tone, her berry coloured lips, and simple gold earrings matched the golden brown of her eyes. The dress itself was soft and flowing, with short cap sleeves and, Gio noticed appreciatively, a low neckline. Her black heels accentuated her shapely legs, drawing his attention as she descended the last few stairs. She stopped on the last step and waited for him to reach her.

"I promise not to leave you next time." Gio held his hand out to her, the other arm behind his back. His eyes were open and sincere.

Betty grinned, "I promise not to let you."

She took his hand and stepped down, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and whispering "This place had better not be too far, because I don't think I can last more than three blocks in these shoes." She smelt as good as she looked.

Gio chuckled, "I'll carry you if I need to, but you are keeping those shoes on…" He gave her a serious look, then nodded at the concierge as they walked out of the lobby and onto the street.

The light was fading quickly, but pale yellows and apricot tones stained the sky. Gio turned and led Betty down the street, walking slowly as she picked her way carefully among the cobblestones. "Lift your head up… you look amazing"

Betty smiled and looked at Gio, "Thank you."

She meant it completely. She loved this dress, but rarely had the confidence to wear it. Hilda was the only person who had seen her in it, besides the shop assistant who had gushed over it. There never seemed to be the right occasion. She had packed it almost out of desperation, realising she had few clothes that weren't stained with hot chocolate or tainted with other memories. After their talk, however, it seemed to be the perfect thing.

With the twilight casting a sheer glow on him, Betty noticed how good he looked too. His face seemed more relaxed, his brow had softened. The black shirt he wore was smooth and perfectly fitted, open at the neck with his silver chain glinting through as he moved. She looked back down at her own feet and admired his black slacks and shoes. He'd dressed up for her. And he looked _happy_.

She felt a rush through her chest at the thought. He was always cheerful and smiling when they'd first become friends. He joked and laughed and teased her. But in the past couple of months, even as they had been beginning their little romance, she'd sensed through her own worries that he was anxious too. Now she felt that anxiety slipping away, melting into a memory. He was just happy to have her here with him.

"Gio! Look!"

She grasped his arm and stopped still. He looked at her expression – surprise, wonder, and, man did she look beautiful.

She shook his arm, "Look!"

He followed her gaze and saw them. A flock of birds had risen into the air above the buildings ahead of them. Hundreds of them flew in effortless formation, then swooped, dived, and soared again in a perfectly synchronised dance. They stood, entranced, and watched as the tiny black shapes fluttered into a pulsing shadow across the sky. It stretched and changed as they watched like a cloud buffeted by wind.

"It's so beautiful," Betty muttered to herself.

"Yeah, it is." Gio, still gazing up at the birds, understood at last something his father had once told him. Growing up in the city, he'd never seen it like this before.

"No wonder they thought birds told the future."

"What do you mean?" Betty turned to him, confused.

"Well, if you were looking for a sign from the gods, wouldn't you want to believe that they meant something?" He nodded towards the birds.

Betty turned back to admire their dance. Another flock joined them, and the two moving shadows ducked in and around one another, sending flashes of light into the air as they turned and their wings caught the sun. They began to walk on.

"I guess I would want to believe that."

Gio held her hand and slid his fingers between hers.

"Before the Romans, the Etruscans lived in this part of Italy. They were a very mysterious people – we don't know a lot about them…"

"Etruscans? Were they the ones with the tombs?"

"Yeah… they painted beautiful scenes of banquets and funeral celebrations on the walls of the rooms," he smiled at her recognition, then gushed, "we could go and see one of the villages if you wanted. There are some famous ones not far from Rome." Gio looked at her expectantly.

She liked seeing him so excited about something so unusual, and slightly nerdy. "Sure, but you'll need to explain this bird thingy to me first."

"Okay, well, the Etruscan priests were experts in divination – finding the will of the gods, telling the future, and they were highly respected. One kind of divination they used was augury – from the flight patterns of birds." He looked at Betty to check that she was following him. She nodded for him to continue.

"They believed that the direction that birds flew, and where they were in the sky, communicated messages from the gods. Different regions of the sky were lucky, so birds flying from the horizon to that region were good omens."

"Wow. And how do you know this?"

Gio chuckled, "My dad is a very proud Italian – he insisted that we learn about our _great civilisation_! The art, the history, the literature, the wars, the music, and especially…" He looked at Betty sternly, "the food."

She cracked a grin and then raised one eyebrow back at him.

"Okay genius, tell me how they can fly like that without crashing into each other."

Gio's expression broke into one of confusion.

"Now that, I don't know. Maybe it's the same way fish can swim in a school – they feel the vibration in the water as each of their neighbours moves in the tiniest way."

"Did your dad tell you that?"

"Nope. Discovery Channel."

Betty laughed at his self-satisfied smile.

They walked the final block quietly, listening to the distant birds – the sound of their wings almost as loud as their chirping.

Gio led her into a small restaurant, already lit up for the evening, with awnings over the tall windows to the street, a few tables out on the footpath, and delicious smells wafting from the open door.

"Scusi, signor…" Gio approached a waiter and apologised in Italian for their late arrival. The waiter looked across at Betty, then back at Gio, and nodded in silent understanding. As he showed them to their seats outside, Betty soaked in the atmosphere of the place. It had wooden floors and wood-backed chairs, small circular tables, each set with a white tablecloth and a single candle. Their table outside sat in a small courtyard, and there were already a few couples drinking wine and talking quietly. Gio pulled out her seat for her, and then took his place opposite. The waiter had paused to take their drinks order, when Betty blurted out "Do you have breadsticks here?"

The waiter smiled at her and nodded, "Si, signorina. I'll have some brought out for you." He spoke to her in a heavily accented English.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you." Betty smiled.

"And will you be having wine tonight?"

Gio jumped in, "Yes, we will, could we please see the list?"

"Certainly signor."

Gio looked at Betty. "Breadsticks?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I have to tell Hilda if they taste better than the ones at the Italian place next to the gas station on Flushing... which is gonna be kinda hard because I've never been to that place." She screwed up her face in realisation.

"The reviewer in you is coming out…"

Betty's eyes widened.

"That is such a good idea, Gio! I could write reviews of the places we visit and send them to Mrs Meade, I mean Claire, and she might let me do an article on Rome and…" she kept babbling as she bent over and started rummaging around in her bag.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for my notebook"

Gio reached out for the hand that was bracing her on the table. She stopped and looked up at him.

"That _does_ sound like a good idea. But I don't think I can afford to be buying everything on the menu… and I definitely don't want you to be composing a review in your head instead of talking to me."

She paused and bit her lip, "Sorry… I guess I got a little excited."

"It's okay. I get it. I have to restrain myself from jotting down everything I taste. Especially at a place like this. But sometimes it's good to just _enjoy_ it for its own sake. If it's worth writing about, you'll remember it tomorrow." He smiled and pulled her hand towards his, resting them on the centre of the table and stroking her thumb with his.

"I guess I'm not quite out of work mode yet."

"You're not out of writer mode. There's a difference. I'd say we can find some things to take your mind off work…"

Just then the waiter approached with a jug of water and their menus. Betty opened hers and deciphered what she could. As she asked Gio to explain some of the dishes, her mouth began to water. His descriptions were vivid and enthusiastic, she watched his eyes dance and his hands move as he told her about the regional specialities, the way different pasta was prepared. He helped her settle on one and they chatted about their day, the impression the city had made on them, and their plans for the next week. Betty gushed over the breadsticks and forced Gio to try one, and then two, and then three. When their meals arrived, the aromas and colours silenced them for a minute. Gio raised his glass to Betty and looked across the top of it to her eyes.

"To being here, with you. To us."

"To us," Betty echoed and touched her glass to his. She held his gaze as she brought the glass to her mouth, then closed her eyes as she took a sip. The vino rosso was intense and fruity. The aroma warmed her through, and the feel of it on her throat was relaxing. The scent mingled with the tomato and parmaggiano wafting from her pasta. She slowly lowered the glass, lifted a forkful of pasta and tasted it. She closed her eyes. It was hot and delicious.

Gio enjoyed watching her expressions and hearing her quiet moans of satisfaction. He ate slowly, revelling in the sight of her.

Their conversation wandered, and he felt a growing sense of privilege. It was almost surreal being here with Betty, enjoying her full attention, after so many months of distractions and frustrations. At times he had felt so angry at her foolishness. She wasn't blind to Henry's flaws, she felt the pain of his failures, the disappointments, the jealousy. He knew she was strong enough to stand firmly on her own. He also knew she deserved better. What frustrated him most was her sense of duty – the idea she had that her loyalty to Henry could fix everything else, ignoring the reality of her situation, letting him hurt her again and again. But it was also what he loved about her. She put others before herself. She had faith in people, she was loyal and loving, and hopeful.

It was because of that faith and hope that she was here with him now. She'd trusted him enough to get on a plane, to turn down a ring, to leave her family and job behind. He was not going to let her regret it.


	9. Truth

Betty looked at the man sitting across from her.

She could see the candlelight reflected in his serious dark brown eyes. He was gazing at her intently, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. The chain around his neck glinted, and soft shadows played across his face, shading his expressions. She broke the silence first.

"Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"Truth."

Gio's fork stopped part way to his mouth.

"Or Dare?" His eyes widened at the idea.

"No, just Truth. I get to ask you three questions, and you have to promise to answer them honestly."

Gio took the piece of pasta off his fork, ate it slowly, and considered her proposal.

"Okay, as long as I get three in return."

"Deal."

Betty took a sip of her wine and looked across at Gio.

"So what's first?"

She realised that she hadn't actually thought of anything in particular she wanted to know about him, and grasped for something.

"What were you thinking about just now?"

"What, just then?" That wasn't the sort of question he was expecting.

"Yeah, just before – when you went all quiet and intense." Betty imitated his expression and then broke into a smile.

Gio sat back in his chair a little and lifted his wine glass again.

"I was thinking that I had to write a thank-you note to Henry."

Betty's face dropped. "What?! What do you mean? … Oh my god did you just use his real name?!" That wasn't the sort of answer she was expecting.

Gio chuckled at her reaction and leaned in towards her. He took her hand in his and tried to calm her a little.

"I just wanted to thank him for coming back and proposing to you." He braced himself for her reaction.

Betty shook her hand free and smacked him on the shoulder. The other couples turned to look at her, and she lowered her voice.

"That's an awful thing to say, Gio! When he turned up at that game, you didn't want to thank him, you wanted to hit him! I could see it on your face!"

"Yeah, I did." Gio nodded in agreement.

"So are you wishing I'd decided to go with him now? Is that it?" Betty's eyes started to well, she couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

Gio snatched her hand back and held it in both of his. He stared at her until she held her breath.

"That's not it. You wanted to know the truth? Well let me explain it."

She nodded silently, hoping his explanation would stop the lump in her throat from turning into tears.

"Betty, if he hadn't come back… if you hadn't had to choose, I would have always wondered. I would never have known if you were with me out of convenience, because I swept you off your feet… or because you wanted to be."

He smiled warmly at her, feeling a little teary himself, then continued, "When you turned up on my doorstep with your bags and told me that you had chosen to come to Rome… that you had chosen me, it was just an amazing feeling."

"I'm sorry I made you wait. It just took me a while to work the guts up to tell Henry."

"I understand that. And it gave me time to realise how much I really wanted to have you with me." He leaned towards her, bringing his face close, "I just wanted to know that you believed in me." Then his eyes widened, "In us."

She kissed him then, half to reassure him, half to calm herself down.

He returned the kiss, still holding her hand in his softly as they rested on the table, lifting his other hand to touch the soft skin of her neck. It was soft and slow, their noses touched and upset Betty's glasses. She laughed and Gio pulled back to straighten them for her.

"It meant more to me than you knew."

Betty nodded and looked down at their hands. It wasn't the first time that she'd been surprised by one of his admissions. As she saw his smile, she thought he must have been waiting for the right time to tell her. He enjoyed surprising her, and he wasn't afraid of her knowing how he felt. As though he trusted her to be gentle with him.

"My turn." A sly smirk appeared on his face.

"Oh no…" Betty groaned aloud.

"Hey, you made up the game!" He began twirling his pasta on his fork, gazing into the distance, occasionally looking as though he'd decided on a question, then shaking his head and turning back to his food. After the third fake, Betty became exasperated.

"What?!"

"Nothing…"

She rolled her eyes at him and began to eat.

"I only have three questions, I need to use them carefully!"

"Yeah well, you have one minute or the game is over."

"Okay okay…" Gio set down his fork, dabbed his face with a napkin, and addressed her.

"Why did you decide to come?"

Betty thought for a minute and then answered.

"The food's better in Rome."

Her face was completely deadpan. It was Gio's turn to roll his eyes.

"This is a game of _truth_ remember."

Betty's composure broke, "Okay, okay…"

She paused quietly, and Gio waited for her answer.

"Going to Tucson with Henry would have been settling for less than I really wanted. I wouldn't have been happy there, I would have never really felt at home."

He sat silently and studied her expressions.

"He wasn't mine anymore. I guess he was never mine, what with Charlie and the baby and…" She met Gio's gaze and shrugged. He nodded. She continued.

"When I was little, my mom always told me, "If you need five cents, don't ask for three - ask for ten"..."

"Hah… your mom was a smart lady. Isn't that from a song?..."

"What? I don't know. I don't think so. Anway... _Henry_ was offering me three cents like it was the greatest thing in the world." Betty shook her head at the thought.

Gio chuckled again, "…And I was offering you…?"

Betty lifted her hands and looked around her.

"Rome! ...And a chance to do something brave, a challenge to follow my heart and not what I thought I _should_ do." She spoke quietly now, "My mom had dreams that she never got to fulfill, I know she'd be disappointed in me if I gave up on mine. I've come close a few times."

She thought back over the past few months. "You know, _you_ always push me to do better, and it's damn annoying, but sometimes I need a kick up the butt like that."

Gio remembered back to all her _very_ good excuses for not writing. "Hells yeah ya do."

Betty rolled the stem of her wine glass between her fingers, her mind ticking over slowly.

"But, I think most importantly, you offered me… well… you!"

Gio was taken aback for a second, "What, you're telling me that the Sandwich Guy was more tempting than a ring?"

Betty touched his hand softly. "Much more. Rings don't give pep talks or make sandwiches or dance or quack or take care of you when you're poisoned or turn up with a carriage on your birthday…" They both knew she was talking about Henry. "...As nice as they might seem, they can't make up for what's missing."

"And I could?"

"Gio, you _are_ what was missing. I just wish I'd owned up to it sooner."

"What? And skip all the angsty love triangle stuff? No way!" Gio teased her.

As Betty laughed quietly she felt a little pride. She'd opened up to him and suddenly it felt like the air she was breathing was lighter and crisper. Henry was no longer some awkward topic hanging over the two of them; she could finally let him go.

Their now-empty dishes were cleared away, and the waiter returned to the table.

"The dessert menu?"

Before Betty had a chance to reply Gio had placed his hand on hers and declared,

"Ah, no thank you, we've made plans for dessert - we'll just have the bill."

He winked at the waiter who responded with a knowing smile, "Certainly signor."

As the waiter retreated Gio leaned back in his chair and smiled smugly.

"Gio! Do you have to be so blatant? Everyone's staring!" Betty hissed under her breath.

"Yeah I know." He looked around and grinned like schoolboy.

Betty sighed and stared down at her glass uncomfortably. It was as though there was some secret fraternity of smug, cocky, guys that existed to stroke one another's egos with their winks and nudges…. and every man in Rome was a member.

_Well, if you can't beat them… _

So when the bill arrived, Gio paid and left a tip, and the waiter thanked him. Before he left, he turned to look Betty up and down once more, then remarked, "Enjoy your dessert Signor, Signorina."

"Oh we will." Betty gave her best sultry look, downed the last of her wine, stood up dramatically and held her hand out to Gio, "Let's go, lover."

Gio scrambled to grab her bag and scamper after her as she strutted out of the restaurant, waving and batting her eyelashes at the waiter while the other men followed her with their eyes.

On second thought, maybe she could beat them.


	10. Sunsets, Strawberries, and ?

She called me lover.

_She called me lover._

Gio kept repeating it over in his head. He knew she was getting him back for his showboating throughout the night, but could you really blame him? She was in Rome, with him, she _looked_ amazing, and they were finally on a real date. Holding hands, even. And she called him _lover_.

Betty noticed that he had been silent since they left the restaurant. Her little performance must have impressed him, she thought with satisfaction. He kept looking across at her as the full moon lit their way through the streets of the city.

"I have two questions left"

It took Gio a couple of seconds to realise what she was talking about.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay shoot"

"What did you want to be when you grew up?"

"A pilot." Gio nodded his head firmly.

"Really?!" The news surprised Betty, "But you hated that flight!"

"No, I hated the _food_ on the flight. I've always loved flying. I used to make planes out of boxes and fly them around the back yard – even had the little fighter pilot goggles and the hat."

The image made Betty laugh. "So where did Sandwich Guy come from?"

He looked at her seriously, "I _really_ like sandwiches."

"No kidding. So what changed your mind?"

"Nothing, I'm still going to be a pilot."

"Oh _really_?" Betty was clearly not convinced. "Why isn't that in your five year plan then?"

"It is."

Betty was getting irritated.

"Well, how do you think you're going to do that _and_ have the longest ever condiment bar?"

"Have a little faith, B. It's all figured out." She scoffed.

He explained, "I don't want to be an airline pilot – I couldn't last a day on that food. But it'd be fun to run tours or do private work. The first step is getting my pilot's licence, and that will take time and money. Money I'll earn from the deli."

"Huh. Good luck."

Gio chose to ignore her sarcastic tone. "Thanks."

Betty was a little bitter that there was a whole new element to his five-year plan that he'd never mentioned. First Rome, now becoming a pilot… What else didn't she know about?

"You're not planning to father a bunch of illegitimate children as part of this five-year plan are you?"

"Nah, too expensive. Why? Are you offering?"

"Gio!" She went to smack his arm but he ducked, turned, and offered her the other shoulder.

"You got that one earlier, it's sore. Go ahead"

Betty rolled her eyes but then smacked the shoulder she was offered.

He spun back around and walked alongside her. "It's not your turn anyway…"

"Go on then." She took hold of his hand again.

"Hmmm… let's see." He tapped a finger to his chin in mock contemplation.

"10…9…8…7…" Betty was sick of this game. "6…5…4….3…2 and a half"

Gio searched his brain for a question.

"2… 1 and a half….1…"

"What do you prefer, sunrises or sunsets?"

"Huh?"

"If you had to pick. What would it be?"

"Um…" Betty's mind raced. She could remember seeing many beautiful sunsets. Many of them from the windows of Daniel's office. Sometimes when she had to work late she'd notice the light fading and reddening, then she'd swallow her slight fear of heights to press up against the window, block out the lights inside with her hands, and admire the black of the skyline, the lights of the buildings closer to them, the silhouettes of skyscrapers in the distance, and the shafts of sunlight sweeping down the streets of Manhattan. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a sunrise.

"Sunsets." She admired the street ahead of her, much quieter than New York at night, darker, older, more romantic. "What about you?"

He shook his head at her, "This will be your third… are you sure you want to know?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay then. Sunrises."

"Really? Why?"

"Sunsets are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but there's something magical about every sunrise. I love how it comes almost out of nowhere. You see the sky beginning to lighten, you know it must be near, but you're never quite sure. And then, all of a sudden, there it is."

Betty smiled at the image he was creating.

"It's like a little miracle every morning. And I love how it feels that early – so quiet and still. Well, not everywhere." He thought of Manhattan as well.

"And I love how the best sunrises always happen when you've stayed up all night for them." He smiled quietly to himself as they turned the corner of their block.

Betty remembered the first day they'd met "The Sun Also Rises…"

He nodded at her, "One of my favourites."

As they reached the doors of the hotel, Betty admitted quietly. "I've never read it."

"And you call yourself a writer…" he scolded her jokingly, but she bit her lip, feeling like a fraud. He noticed.

"There's time, B. Plenty of time."

He took her hand and led her up the stairs, nodding to Francesco, and taking a mental note for himself.

Gio unlocked the door to the room and stood back to let Betty through.

She stopped still, standing in the doorway.

The room was aglow with candles and moonlight sifted through the window. Soft music was playing somewhere and the bed was pristine, all their things tidied away. Her flowers were on the small table, alongside a bottle of champagne, a bowl of strawberries, and a box of chocolate truffles.

Gio pulled aside her hair, kissed the back of her neck, and then ducked past her to open the champagne.

"Giovanni Rossi. Are you trying to seduce me?"

Gio turned to look at her as he undid the foil around the cork.

"I thought you'd want dessert." He replied innocently.

Betty lifted her eyebrows at him pointedly.

"You just want to get me into bed with you."

He walked over to her, still holding the bottle in one hand, a glass in the other.

"Correction. I've already been in bed with you." He came right up close, leaned in towards her and whispered, "I just want to get you, naked, into bed with me."

BANG!

The cork popped from the bottle and Betty jumped. Gio stepped away and caught the frothing wine in the glass, poured it slowly and handed the glass to Betty.

"Oh, real smooth, Gio."

"Well, I thought so." He swaggered over and picked up the other glass, poured himself some champagne.

"Would you like to close the door? Or are you into that kinda thing?"

"Ew, Gio." Betty turned and swung the door closed. "I am definitely _not_ into that kinda thing."

"Coulda fooled me, the little show you put on back at the restaurant."

"Yeah, well…" she began to blush, forgetting her distaste at his comment and remembering how good it felt to know he was speechless at her.

He reached out his glass towards her.

"It's your turn."

"To what?"

"To toast."

"Ah, um…"

She looked past him out the window at the darkened sky, the moon, and the silver light it cast on the skyline. Then it came to her.

"To Rome."

Gio nodded his head in approval and clinked her glass.

"To Rome."

They each took a sip, felt the sweet, bubbling liquid tease their tongues, tingle on their lips, and calm their nerves. Gio took the bag that still sat over Betty's shoulder, turned off the cell phone and put it away in the closet. When he turned around she was sitting at the table, the moonlight hitting her face and making her skin appear paler and translucent. She was eating a strawberry with her eyes half closed.

Gio sat down beside her.

"Are they better than the ones from the place next to the gas station on Flushing?"

She choked a little from laughing and had to take a sip of her wine.

"They're really good. Sweet."

Gio tasted one and enjoyed its scent and cool firm flesh. It was sweet, and flavourful, and it matched the champagne perfectly. He would have to leave a tip for Francesco.

Betty watched his lips moving slowly. She picked another strawberry and took a bite from its tip. Her thoughts wandered. She was nervous. Ridiculously turned on by him. His smell as it mingled with the intoxicating scent of her flowers, the way he looked, the way he looked at her, the feel of the champagne and the candlelight. But still nervous.

She was momentarily horrified.

"Gio, is there anything I should know?"

He forgot about the strawberry that was half way to his mouth and saw Betty's eyes tense with concern.

"No. There's nothing."

"No other secret plans or pregnant ex-girlfriends or criminal convictions I should know about."

"Well, I did have this masterful plan to seduce you with wine and chocolate and then in the morning read you Hemingway's opening chapter. But that's as mysterious as I get and it's not really a secret anymore is it?"

She smiled in relief, "I'm sorry, I just…"

He kissed her softly on the cheek. "It's okay. I didn't mean to pressure you. If you want I can blow out all these candles, tip out the champagne and order us some pizzas?"

"Don't you dare!"

"Good. Because this wine was _very _expensive. And I promise there are no skeletons in my closet. Just really good jeans."

Betty raised her eyebrows, "Maybe I should trust you. You do have really great jeans."

"The mark of an honest man."

He lifted the strawberry he was holding to her lips and let her take a bite, watching her eyes close again. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It felt soft and cool, slipping between his fingers. He ran his fingers down the silken length of it and then over her exposed neck.

"So, Miss Suarez," he kissed her neck, moving down towards her collar bone,

"Is there anything I should know about you?"

Betty melted into his kisses, her body responding to the treatment it had experienced that afternoon. She felt her shoulders relax and her head loll to the side, leaving Gio more skin to pamper. The words slipped out before she could catch them -

"Sometimes I'm a little too loud."

Gio's kisses stopped. "What did you say?"

Betty's head snapped back into an upright position and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Nothing."

Gio lifted his head to study her face. She had gone bright red.

"Betty Suarez… do you mean to tell me that you're a screamer?"

"What?! No! Gio!" She sighed and covered her face with both her hands. How could she let her guard down like that?

"Don't try to deny it…"

"No, its just that, well…" she sighed again and dropped her hands, trying to defend herself, "sometimes I get a little carried away and… I have, on occasion, woken… people… up?" She had to force each word out and waited to see his reaction.

Gio's eyes were wide in disbelief, but as they searched her face he saw she was telling the truth.

She rambled on "But it's okay because I'm used to it now and I can be quiet and as long as you don't, well… I'll tell you what I can't handle… and I'll try not to sh…"

Gio placed a finger to her lips, silencing her in the middle of the sentence.

"Don't you dare!" His tone was dead serious.

"What?"

"Betty, do you have any idea how _hot_ that is?"

She looked puzzled. "But I _wake people up_."

"See, you say that, and all I hear is _hot, hot, hot._"

She shook her head, "Whatever."

"You've got me all worked up now. If you don't scream for me I am going to be severely disappointed." He tutted at her.

Her face became even brighter. "Gio!" she whispered, almost to shush him.

"What?! These are thick walls Suarez."

He scooted her off her chair to stand in front of him. As pulled her in for a kiss he growled under his breath,

"You can scream your heart out… I promise."


	11. Poetry and Motion

One part relieved, one part petrified, and the rest weak at the knees.

That's how Betty felt at the exact moment that Gio growled the words in her ear. But she didn't hear them, so much as feel them hit her square in her chest, rush down into her stomach and take hold. She took in a staggered breath and her shoulders crept up. Even as she exhaled, they stayed tense. She chewed her lower lip.

He could see the goosebumps on her neck, despite the warmth of the breeze wafting in through the window. She was anxious. He wondered for a moment at her reaction then sighed his understanding. He didn't know much about her romantic history, but someone, sometime, had said or done something to make her feel this way, and he had a fair idea who. The thought turned his feelings from amused arousal to defensive anger. His fist clenched itself, his jaw set in place. As she looked up at him, eyes betraying her uncertainty, he felt part of his frustration melt. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stroked gently up and down.

She spoke first.

"Why did you go to all this trouble, Gio?"

He stared at her blankly for a second or two.

"Despite what you may have heard, B, it's not just women that like romance."

He felt relief rush through him as a smile crept onto her face. She tilted her head to one side.

"Oh really?"

"Really. Half the fun is in the journey, and I wanted to make _this_ journey, with you, one to remember." She noticed the double meaning, and marvelled at its relative lack of smutty connotations.

"Well you made sure of that. Nothing like flying a girl halfway across the world to serenade her." As she teased him the goosebumps began to disappear, her smile became fuller and her shoulders relaxed. She sauntered over to peer out the window to the street below. The moonlight cast long shadows, obscuring her view.

"So where is he?"

"Who?" Gio walked over to join her.

"My handsome serenader."

"You don't need one, you've got me!"

She looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes, "Ah, Gio, I hate to break it to you, but you should really stick to making 'wiches."

He stepped back and looked at her in mock horror, hand placed on his chest.

"It's an industry term." She gave him a patronising nod.

"Betty! The Rossi family comes from a long line of well-respected cantanti italiani…"

Betty drew in her breath sharply, "Oooh, guess you missed out on the genes then!"

"Why you little…"

She leapt out of his reach as he went to tickle her waist, then dodged him again and grabbed the champagne bottle from the bucket where it was perched. She held it up between the two of them, warding him off.

"I think… we should have some more champagne"

He dropped his arms to his sides, then reached for the glasses and held them as she poured. She handed one to him, they clinked, and then took a sip.

"Okay, well if not a song, how about a poem?"

"Oooh fancy…. That's a bit more sophisticated, don't you think?"

"Nah, they're the same thing."

"Poetry is _not_ the same."

"Well, when it comes down to it, is there really any difference between Andrew Marvell and Marvin Gaye?"

"Is there really any difference between who and who?"

"See, now, this is what I mean by a Rossi education… Andrew Marvell, _To his coy mistress_ – have you ever heard that poem?"

"How does it go?"

Gio lowered his voice and struck an actor's pose, one hand on his hip, one raised into the air holding his glass. He paused dramatically, and began.

_ Had we but world enough, and time, _

_ This __**coyness**__ Lady were no crime._

Gio paused and checked Betty's expression for recognition. Nothing. He dropped the act and continued in his normal voice.

_ We would sit down and think which way_

_ To walk, and pass our long love's day…._?

Still no response. He shook his head in disbelief. He placed both their drinks on the table, took Betty's hand and led her to sit on the bed. Then taking a seat beside her, he recited the poem.

_ Thou by the Indian Ganges' side_

_ Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide_

_ Of Humber would complain. _

Gio paused to brush the hair aside from her face.

_ I would_

_ Love you ten years before the flood,_

_ And you should, if you please, refuse_

_ Till the conversion of the Jews._

Betty giggled at the line.

_ My vegetable love should grow_

_ Vaster than empires and more slow;_

Then cringed at the pun and Gio's smutty expression.

He jumped from the bed and stood in front of her, addressing each of her features as the poem mentioned them.

_ An hundred years should go to praise_

_ Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;_

_ Two hundred to adore each breast,_

_ But thirty thousand to the rest;_

She hid her face as she felt it turning crimson

_ An age at least to every part,_

_ And the last age should show your heart._

He kissed her hand.

_ For, lady, __**you deserve**__ this state,_

_ Nor would I love at lower rate._

His pace changed and he moved back onto the bed, nestling in behind her, holding her waist, and speaking softly into her ear.

_ But at my back I always hear _

_ Times winged chariot hurrying near;_

_ And yonder all before us lie_

_ Deserts of vast eternity._

Gio lowered his voice to add drama of the next few lines.

_ Thy beauty shall no more be found;_

_ Nor, in thy marble vault shall sound_

_ My echoing song; then worms shall try_

_ That long preserved virginity,_

_ And your quaint honor turn to dust,_

_ And into ashes all my lust:_

Betty turned around to face him, both now sitting on the bed. He spoke slowly.

_ The grave's a fine and private place,_

_ But none, I think, do there embrace._

Betty was giggling again now, and he lifted her chin to look into her eyes.

_ Now therefore while the youthful hue _

_ Sits on thy skin like morning dew,_

_ And while thy willing soul transpires_

_ At every pore with instant fires,_

Gio leaned closer,

_**Now**__ let us sport us while we may,_

_ And now, like amorous birds of prey,_

_ Rather at once our time devour_

_ Than languish in his slow-chapped power._

He took her hands, one at a time, and held them in his.

_ Let us roll all our strength and all_

_ Our sweetness up into one ball,_

_ And tear our pleasures with rough strife_

_ Thorough the iron gates of life:_

He kissed her softly.

_ Thus, though we cannot make our sun_

_ Stand still, yet we will make him run._

He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes.

"Where the hell did that come from?"

Gio pulled back and sighed.

"See, you still think I'm a lunk don't you."

Betty ignored his frustration, her mind wandering.

"Marvell… He was pretty persuasive."

"Carpe Diem, B. There are thousands of these poems, just beautiful complex ways that men come up with to seduce the woman they love."

"I guess that is kind of romantic. But why don't men do that now?"

"They do! If anything we're just a bit more subtle! That's what I'm saying… Is there really any difference between that poem and…"

Gio ran over to where the music was coming from and fiddled around with it for a few moments, "… this!"

Betty was hit by a familiar, sultry opening, and then Gio, walking slowly towards her, eyes half closed, clicking his fingers in time with the beat.

"_I've been really tryiiiiin baby_

_Trying to hold back this feeling, for so long"_

She had to bite her lip so as not to laugh at his falsetto or his expression.

"_And if you feel like I feel, baby,_

_Come on, oh! _

_Come on… whoo!"_

He pulled her towards him into a slow dance, still imitating every variation in the singer's voice, looking her straight in the eye,

"_Let's get it on…_

_ Aaahh baby_

_Let's get it on_

_ Let's love baby"_

Betty still wasn't used to his unashamed advances, or the sound of his voice.

He laughed at her expression and let the singer continue.

Betty nodded, "Marvin Gaye?"

"Yes, indeed. The man's a genius."

An unconvinced Betty screwed up her face at him. This was all too reminiscent of Phil Roth. Gio's expression didn't match her impression, though. He kissed her on the forehead.

"You're a writer, you'll appreciate it. You just have to listen - this is one of the greatest love letters ever written."

He held Betty closer to him and rocked her in time to the music as she let the lyrics wash over her.

The melody was familiar, but the voice of the singer sent shivers down her spine. It reminded her of Gio's scent - strong and sensual like leather, tones of spice and cedar, and an aftertaste of heat.

Their thighs brushed against one another's as they stepped. She rested her cheek against his neck. Gio's hand slid up her back, over the fluid silk of her dress, holding her gently but firmly against him. He began to sing lower than before, quietly, and in tune, as the saxophone rang out…

"_There's nothing wrong with me loving you_

_Giving yourself to me can never be wrong _

_If your love is true"_

She felt his voice sending vibrations through her. He breathed in the smell of her hair, enjoying the warmth of her skin under his hands.

"_Now don't you know how sweet and wonderful life can be…_

_I'm asking you baby to get it on with me."_

She remembered his little speech on the night of her birthday, how she'd been too distracted to really listen or appreciate him then. The candles that flickered around them reminded her of fireworks as she felt her body soften into his.

Gio noticed her close her eyes, noticed the slight smile on her face, the way her dress fell away revealingly. He felt his arousal becoming more and more insistent, tugging at him to kiss her, but he knew that once he started, he wouldn't stop. He bit his lip instead, and watched hers, full and slightly parted. His chest tightened.

_So close, you can feel her breath on your neck._

He remembered the last time they'd danced.

Suddenly Gio spun her away from him, twirling her skirt, then back into a closer hold, slipping her arms over his shoulders. Her fingers ran through his short hair, her skin brushed over his cool shirt. He slipped his hands around her waist and pressed them into the small of her back.

Betty heard his breath catch.

This time when she caught his gaze, she returned its intensity. She didn't run or hesitate. She closed her eyes and kissed him.


	12. Black, Betty?

Gio was elated. He felt a rush of excitement, pride, and pure joy knock him over. It was as though a gamble he was scared to lose had gone his way. As she kissed him he didn't feel her hot lips, her breath across his, or even her tongue as it teased its way into his mouth. He heard a moan, then realised that it had come from him. His mind raced along with his pulse.

His confidence had been, if not a charade, then a performance. He had felt Betty's uncertainty, maybe a little fear, and knew that he had to keep his own anxieties hidden for now.

What he felt at this moment was her readiness. He poured all of that relief into his kiss. His palms were pressed into the small of her back, against the fabric of her dress, and he gathered it up in his fingers as the tension of the kiss grew. When she took his lower lip into her mouth and gently held it there, as though hoping it would slowly dissolve into hers, all the sensations flooded his consciousness. Her perfume was mingled with the aftertaste of champagne. The sweet berry stained her lips with flavour and scent. Her hair fell into her face and brushed against his. The silk of her dress was cool under his fingers, and slipped away quickly when he released his clenched fists. Betty let his lip free at last and consoled it with soft, open-mouthed kisses. She was no longer listening to the music that filled the room, but the rise and fall of his chest under her arms. Their foreheads touched and he watched as his hands found their way to her hips and rested on their curve. She felt him beginning to guide her from a gentle sway to a pulsing figure-eight. Each movement brought them closer together until she sensed the cool metallic buckle of his belt through the fine fabric of her dress. He was leading her expertly with his hips, and she quickly found his rhythm.

Gio melted into the sway of her body next to his, and suddenly he needed to feel every inch of her at once. His hands began to travel, draping up each side of her body, reaching the bare skin of her arms as they lay over his shoulders, then following their line back down once more. The backs of his fingers trailed over the curve of her breasts where they met her side. He felt her tremble momentarily. He let his hands fall further, his fingertips passing the swell of her hips and finding her thigh.

Betty found herself leaning into Gio more, her weight being held by him as one leg lifted slightly with each cycle of her hips. He felt the shapely swell of her calf as it brushed up and slid down his slacks. He braced her with one arm and dropped the other to trace the back of her thigh. Guiding her with gentle pressure, he slid her leg up and rested her thigh on his. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as she shifted to hold her own weight on one heeled foot. Gio's hand held her firmly,

"Relax, I've got you."

Betty smiled and loosened her grip on his shoulders, draping one arm back around his neck and the other through his waist. His hold on her thigh softened and his hand slid up the back of her leg under the skirt of her dress, letting her knee drop, coming dangerously close to her panty line, then pulling away again. As his hand shifted back and forth, her thigh moved up and down. He glanced down and noticed the skirt of her dress had slipped away and gathered around her upper thigh, leaving the rest of her leg exposed. Her skin was radiant in the soft light, smooth under his hands, and the flesh of her thigh was warm and inviting. He forced himself to look away but his hand crept ever higher with each stroke.

Betty felt her shoulders drop as Gio dipped her backwards. Her raised leg wrapped around his instinctively and her breath quickened. As he leant over and kissed the pale skin of her neck she realised he was holding her securely. She relaxed into his hold and ran her free hand through his hair. His lips were moist, his tongue was massaging the tender skin at the side of her throat, and she inhaled deeply. She began to tremble as his hand slid once more over the top of her bare thigh, over the fabric of her dress, to the crease where it met her hip. His fingers followed the line of her panties to her inner thigh where their tips teased through the dress. As the leg she stood on started to buckle he caught her again, rolled her body up to rest against his, placed his hand behind her knee and swung her leg off his hip. It slid down his leg and rested, toe just touching the ground.

Her arms wrapped around his neck again, Betty regained her balance and caressed his mouth with her lips. She swept her tongue over its fullness, kissed gently on his chin, and pressed her fingertips through his hair. Grasping the short strands between her fingers, she tugged his head back and left a trail of kisses down his neck and over his Adam's apple, pausing at the sensitive little hollow at the bottom of his neck. She felt the cool silver of his necklace under her fingers, the faint saltiness of his skin under her tongue, and the warmth of his chest through his shirt. Her hands crept down around his collar to undo the top button and she looked up at him as if for permission.

His chest rose and fell rhythmically with his breath as he watched her lick her lips and begin to undress him. Gio pushed her hair away from her face, admiring the look of concentration she wore. Her hands worked carefully and slowly, while her tongue softly darted over his flesh. Each pocket of skin she exposed was met with kisses that lingered, finally, over his belly button. He played with a curl of her hair between the pads of his fingers and closed his eyes as Betty slipped her hands inside his shirt. She drew back to admire the contours of the narrow strip of skin that was showing, and slid her palms upward in unison. Her outstretched fingers followed the muscles and then the grooves of his ribcage. When they glanced over his nipples she felt them harden to her touch. She kissed the centre of his chest, felt the bone flanked by his pec muscles, and pushed aside one side of the shirt. She kissed across the smooth skin, feeling the firm muscle underneath and ran a gentle tongue over his nipple. She nuzzled into him and slipped her hands down again to find the waistband of his slacks. Betty's fingertips traced the line of muscle where it bulged just above his hips, felt the palms of her hands run over the bone, then around the satin covered elastic of his boxers. She hooked one thumb in under his belt and ran the other hand up his back, enjoying the sensation of his muscular torso enclosing hers. Gio let his head roll away to the side as she resumed her kissing. Her hands felt cool now against his skin. He heard his heart thumping in his temples as she pulled away the shirt and slipped it off his shoulder. Her tongue danced along his collarbone and she paused at the top of his arm to brush her lips lightly in small circles. She took hold of the other side of the shirt collar and gradually slid it across, her fingernails teasing his hot skin. Betty flicked her hair over her other shoulder and turned her attention back to his neck. Her kisses became gentle bites as the taut muscles rolled under her tongue. One, slightly harder bite and Gio moaned in response. He arched his shoulders back and let the shirt fall off, shaking his arms free as it dropped to the floor behind him. He wrapped his now bare arms around Betty, pulled her closer to him, and dropped his chin to intercept her kisses.

He felt the silk of her dress draping against his stomach, felt her breasts crushed against his chest. She nuzzled the silver chain aside and kissed where it normally sat, noticing the pale line contrasting with his tan. Across his back, the cool breeze caught his sweat and chilled him. The fine hair stood on end, trembled under her fingers.

She felt him, hot under her touch, hardening through the fabric of his pants. His breathing was quickening, and as she held his neck with one hand she felt his pulse, strong and fast, driving his movements. His kisses left her mouth and followed the line of her jaw to her neck, down and across the top of her shoulder. His cheek felt the smooth line of her dress and followed it down. He kissed softly around the neckline, lower and lower until he reached the upper part of one breast, the dip of her cleavage, and the tender swell of the other. His hands slipped down over the curve of her butt and held her. He trailed his nose and cheek, barely touching her skin before taking a gentle but firm bite into the flesh of her shoulder.

Betty gasped as the pain hit and then subsided. She moaned as he immediately tightened his grip on her ass, pulling her into him. The firm bulge in his pants ground against her centre, surprising and teasing her at once. She found her hips following his as he pulled away slightly, aching for more contact.

Gio felt the moan escape her lips, her hips inviting him closer, but he wanted to see what she looked like.

"B, this is a beautiful dress but, I'm sorry…"

"What?" She looked up at him, brows furrowed.

"It has to go…"

She giggled and nodded her assent, then leaned into him and closed her eyes as one hand moved up to hold her waist, then travelled up her side, lingering to cup her breast along the way.

His fingers found the zip at her side and carefully tugged it down as far as her hip. Gio sighed quietly as the hand trailed back up her naked skin, skimming over the black lace of her bra… He stole a sneaky glance.

"Black, Betty?"

Betty's eyes snapped open again. She followed his open mouthed gaze.

"What's wrong with black?"

He began to lift the dress up over her shoulders.

"Nothing. It's… just… It's not what I imagined."

"You imagined my underwear?" She spoke through the fabric.

He lowered the dress back down enough to reveal her face and gave her a look of disbelief.

"How do you think I made it through the last three months?!"

Just as Betty's expression switched to one of slight shock, he pulled the dress up and off her outstretched arms.

She shook her hair out and rearranged her glasses, then swept her hair back and behind her ears. When she looked up she saw Gio's eyes bulging.


	13. Playing Favourites

He saw her curls tumble around her shoulders, over the black strap of her bra. It was a low cut that had been invisible under her dress, with a satin cup and red lace accents the same colour as her glasses. The sides were a sheer black lace, and the matching panties sat just below her hips. She still wore the black shoes and the jewellery, and Gio thought he had never seen her wearing anything so confidently.

"Okay if I'd been imagining _that_ I could have lasted another six months easy."

Betty cocked her head to the side and placed one hand on her hip.

"Despite what you may have heard, Gio, it's not just men that like _lingerie_." She spoke the final word with a French accent and a hint of a smile on her lips.

She stepped forward and took hold of his belt, undoing the buckle quickly, and slipped a hand down the front of his pants the help release the button, then the zip. She lingered there with one hand tucked into his boxers as the other slid around to cup his firm ass. As she squeezed, Gio growled,

"No, but it's men that get to enjoy it…" scooping her off her feet and flinging her back on the bed. He stood upright, tugged his pants down, kicking off his shoes and stepping out of them as they fell to the floor. He pulled off his socks as Betty laughed at his sudden impatience. She quietened as Gio climbed over her. His eyes searched hers intensely.

There she lay underneath him, across the foot of the bed. Her hair was spread around her on the bed, one arm rested behind her head, the other hand trailed across her stomach. The candlelight cast faint shadows across her radiant skin. She could feel her body sensitive to the breeze from the window and the bedspread beneath her. The mattress was firm but it moved as Gio's weight shifted and her feet in their high heels dangled over its edge. Betty's gaze travelled across his body. His arms were tensed and the muscles defined as he held himself over her. The sheen of perspiration on his naked chest was caught by the soft light and his scent drifted over her. His black satin boxers accentuated the coffee colour of his skin but disguised his arousal.

Gio slid one knee between hers, the other alongside her and straddled her left thigh. He lowered himself carefully and kissed each of her breasts, first the exposed skin, then through the black lace. As he felt her nipple harden under his lips, he couldn't resist a gentle bite. Betty jolted and caught hold of the bedspread beside her. As Gio breathed over the same spot, her right leg slid up and her heel caught on the edge of the bed. His hand brushed down over her panties and slid under the raised thigh, tickling the tender flesh with the tips of his fingers. As she trembled he quickly kissed down the centre of her stomach and stretched the hand further down her leg. Moving himself back off the edge of the bed, he pulled her towards him by the hips, sliding her over the bedspread. He kissed the sensitive skin just on the inside of her lower thigh, above the knee and continued teasing her for a minute. Finally, Gio lifted her leg slightly and slipped the shoe off her foot, glancing up at her expression. She had lifted herself up onto her elbows to watch him, and she chewed her lower lip. He tickled her ankle tenderly with his tongue as he reached down to slide off the other shoe and placed them both on the floor. When he lifted his head and knelt up, Betty reached out for him. She caught hold of his shoulder then stroked his hair. He smiled and placed his hands on her waist, pushing her back down on the bed.

"You're so beautiful."

Betty smiled to herself. She loved hearing him say it.

"So are you." She looked him straight in the eye. She meant it.

He felt a shiver run down his backbone and her warm fingertips brush his waist, pulling him towards her.

The satin of his boxers brushed over her thigh. She felt the firm muscles of his chest pressing down on her and his strong arms wrap around her body. He drew her up off the bed only an inch and unhooked the back of her bra expertly. Betty took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Gio gently tugged each strap off her shoulder and pulled them down her arms. She felt him pause, heard his breathing. She was afraid to open her eyes and see him looking at her. Then she felt it.

His tongue teasing the bud of her nipple, his lips joining the caress and sucking gently. His hand creeping around to cup her other breast. She opened her eyes.

His eyes were closed, his other hand stroked up and down her side, calming her as the shivers of pleasure hit in little waves. Her toes began to curl and her bare foot found a leg to cling to.

Gio looked up to see her head arched back. He noticed her hand clenching the bedspread again, felt her foot sliding up his leg. He breathed over her damp nipple, and Betty trembled at the chill, the little bud hardening again. He kissed it softly, and took a gentle bite.

She moaned in pleasure at the sensation, but as his teasing became more insistent so did her responses. Just as she was beginning to worry about the noise she was making, relief.

He rose up to kiss her earlobe, then her neck, and whispered to it,

"Sorry, but I think I've just found my new favourite part of your body…"

He drew back and tried to memorise the shadow under the curve of her breasts, the delicate skin of her nipples, the soft feel of them as they sat in his hands, the swollen pinkness of the one he had lavished with attention. He switched his attentions to the other, resting on one elbow, breathed in her scent and trailed his free hand down over her panties. His fingertips traced the curve of her inner thigh, then the backs of his fingers drew back over the lace. He felt her toes grip his leg and repeated his little circuit. Betty's breaths came quickly, interrupted by tiny gasps as he came too close. The sensations became more intense as she felt the blood rushing to where his hands played. She began to ache for him.

Gio continued caressing her breast, watching her expressions through his eyelashes. Her skin was flushed and tiny beads of perspiration began to appear across her chest. His supple fingers trailed the top line of her panties and slipped beneath them, finding the smooth warm skin, the silky curls of hair, and the hot, tender button he was searching for. He approached it carefully, still watching her face, and then brushed over it with a single fingertip.

Betty knew it was coming, but she hadn't expected its intensity, and she still cried out. Her hand flew up to smother her moans as Gio continued to tease her moist centre. His fingers were cool and gentle, his rhythm insistent.

Gio did an internal dance of joy as she cried out, but his concern quickly took over as he felt her shift, looked up and saw her mouth clamped shut, her hand still trembling. Tenderly, he pulled her hand from her mouth, intertwined her tense fingers with his, and slid down the elbow that still held his weight. He pressed their hands into the bed, behind her head and found himself face to face with Betty.

She was biting hard on her lip, unsettled and overwhelmed. Their bodies lay flush against each other. His hardness grew against her thigh as he felt her full softness under him. His fingers continued teasing her. She closed her eyes to avoid his gaze, and he smiled to himself. The soft fleshy lips that his fingers explored were growing wetter by the second. He nibbled on her earlobe and moaned his own arousal.

She spoke quietly through rapid breaths.

"Gio, don't..."

"Don't what?"

Her only reply was a moan.

"_This_?"

She gasped and grabbed the bicep of his moving arm.

"Or _this_?"  
He caught her guttural moan in his lips as he kissed her and felt her fingers reaching for the waistband of his boxers, tugging them down at the hips impatiently.

"Ah… that…" He spoke into her mouth.

"But to do that I'm going to have to stop doing _this_…"

She cried out louder as he dipped two fingers into her, massaging gently but firmly, pressing the base of his palm into her clit.

"Gio…" She pleaded with him.

He kissed her softly and withdrew his hand, rolled onto his side and helped her remove his boxers. As he tossed them aside he saw her staring at him. She slid a hand over his lower abs, over his hip, and then traced the length of him. He twitched at her touch. So delicate that it tickled and teased. Back down his shaft, she fingered the dark curls of hair at its base and watched his arousal grow. She wrapped her fingers around it, slid them slowly up the shaft and lingered at its head, the palm of her hand cupping it gently. Gio gasped.

"I think you just made it up to him," he managed to force the words out and retain his composure as he slid her panties over her hips. She lifted each foot out of them seductively and left one leg slightly bent, her thigh covering her modestly. As he noticed her nipples still erect, the damp glow of her skin, and the sparkle in her eyes she casually removed her glasses, folded each arm closed, and handed them to him. He placed them on the nightstand and turned back to her. She was still watching him, admiring his perfectly formed ass. Then as he turned, she marvelled at the definition in his back, his shoulders, arms, his hands as they caressed her stomach. She reached out to him and ran her fingers over his hair as they kissed. He settled himself between her thighs and his heart raced as one of her legs wrapped loosely around his, her toes teasing the back of his ankle.

He broke their kiss and pulled back an inch.

He could see his eyes reflected in her deep brown ones. The candlelight flickered across her face.

"Ciao, Bella."

Betty's eyes widened as she replayed his words. She pulled away from him to bring his face into focus properly.

"What did you say?"

"Hello, Beautiful." He kissed the tip of her nose.

Her face relaxed in realisation and she smiled.

She kissed the tip of his nose, then drew him back in to kiss her.

Their tongues searched for one another, and when they met, slipped sensuously to and fro. Betty felt Gio's stomach pressing into hers, his erection brushing her thigh. She traced his lips with hers, slipped a hand down over his shoulder and reached to his waist. She pulled him closer but he resisted. His kisses were focussed and his lips hot. He tried to concentrate on the woman underneath him and fight the urge to take her. Her hand began to tug at his hip, she reached down further and her outstretched fingers found his ass. She wanted him closer; she wanted their embrace to be complete.

"I want you inside me…"

She breathed the words into his mouth, and he felt them tingle the soles of his feet, torture him and break his resolve.

He moaned in response and relaxed his hips into hers. He felt the moist lips of her sex against him, and slipped gently between them. She felt his hardness meet her entrance, inhaled deeply, and tensed her fingertips on his ass, pulling him closer still.

As he slipped an inch inside her they moaned in unison. He had to pause and recollect himself. She took a moment to adjust to him, exhaled, and raised her hips slightly, inviting him further. Gio crept one hand down to run the length of her body. As her eyes closed at his touch he pressed further, until their bodies met completely. She was warm and tight, her softness enveloping him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and kissed her tenderly before lifting away and beginning long, fluid strokes.

Betty's mind raced and she forced herself to open her eyes. His short dark hair fell in his face. His silver chain dangled from his tensed neck. She could see his brows slightly furrowed again, his forehead damp with sweat. He was biting his lip. His chest heaved as he breathed deeply.

Her heart skipped seeing him like that. He felt so good, he smelt so good, she wanted to taste him again. She licked her lips and he looked up, a smile breaking over his face.

Just then he thrust deeply, harder, and ground against her clit.

She called out his name as her entire body spasmed in pleasure.

He relaxed his movements, drawing out again and teasing her.

"Yes, Betty?"

She smacked his butt and told him off.

"Don't stop!"

"Okay, okay!"

He dropped his head and looked down at her body as it squirmed beneath him. He raised himself onto his hands and angled himself towards the most sensitive part of her. He gradually increased the pace and felt her hands begin to clench at his flesh. She ran her fingernails over the skin of his back, dug her heel in behind his knee, and answered every thrust of his hips. Her cries became more insistent, and louder. Gio focussed all of his strength on her, dropped down close to her, and tickled her skin with his kisses. He pressed into her clit at the bottom of each stroke, sensing as she came close to climax. She felt the hand that had been moving softly over her take hold of her hip and tense. She wrapped her arms around his back, dug in her fingers and let herself go.

Gio had to shift his ear away from her as she screamed. He felt her claw the skin on his shoulder blades and knew she was ready. He smelt her fragrance mixed with his sweat and the musky scent of her wet pussy. It sent him over the edge and he growled as he came, still moving inside her. Betty slipped one hand down to his butt and held him close to her. Her legs wrapped around and locked him in place. The pressure on her clit sent shockwaves through her torso, her legs tingled and she ached for him with her final cry. Her mouth sat open and her head dropped to the side as she tried to steady her shaking breaths.

He rested on her, still holding his weight on his arms, and felt himself rising and falling with her breath. He could feel her heart thumping alongside his, their ribcages beating against one another's. She dotted kisses over his lips, and as he recovered from his climax he began to kiss her back. Their slow, tender, kisses made his chest feel tight. He had to fight to keep his breathing even. Her skin was hot to touch, her hair was tousled and slick around her temples from perspiration. Her eyes were open, deep, and dark. He kissed each cheekbone and sighed in contentment.

As he moved to lift himself she pulled him back down.

"No, no, no… just one more minute…"

He settled back down and slipped her arms over his shoulders, holding himself on his elbows. He looked down at her breasts pressed against him, then up at her face.

They looked at each other, communicating their relief, desire, happiness through a stare.

"I could stay here for a lot longer than that… but we've forgotten one thing"

Betty looked puzzled.

"Don't move."

He pushed himself up, met the tension of her hands around his neck, dropped down to kiss her quickly and then ducked out of her embrace. As he pulled away, Betty let out a little sigh and her body curled up a little. She watched him walk over to the table naked and bit her lip.


	14. Exactly What You Deserve

He turned back towards her. In place of an ivy leaf, he held the box of truffles in front of him and walked towards the bed, lip curled into a sly smile. His dimple appeared as he saw the look of realisation spread across Betty's face.

Gio crawled towards her, snuggled in alongside her nakedness and set the box on the other side of her body, on the no-longer-perfect bedspread. He supported his head on one elbow and curled his knees up to cup her curves. She draped one knee over his legs and looked up at him. His silver chain was twisted, his skin was warm and slightly damp. His eyelashes were full and soft, she hadn't noticed before. His lips looked swollen and redder than normal. Delicious.

He took a single truffle and brought it to her lips, as she smiled and went to take a bite he snapped it away and ate it in a single mouthful.

"Mmmm… these are really good..." More points for Francesco.

She smacked him.

"Gio!"

He shushed her by placing another truffle to her lips and held it as she took it into her mouth, touching her lips to his fingers and licking them clean.

A little moan of delight followed and Betty's eyes closed. She let the creamy, rich chocolate dissolve on her tongue. Her eyes opened as she felt something cold set between her breasts. Gio was concentrating hard, carefully placing truffles in a long line down her stomach, the last one sitting just below her belly button.

"And just what do you intend to do with those?"

"I intend to eat them off your stomach," he raised his eyebrows seductively and moved around to kneel between her thighs. Her mind ticked over, _sexy_…

Gio kissed her on the mouth and licked down her throat. He shuffled backwards to the lowest chocolate, taking it into his mouth with tender, moist kisses. She closed her eyes and lay back, enjoying the sensation of him between her legs again so quickly. As he kissed up towards the second one Betty started.

"Gio! That's way too many for you! You've hardly left me any!" She looked forlornly across at the almost empty box.

He crawled towards her, holding the truffle between his teeth, and kissed her, biting it in half. She returned his kiss, rolled the chocolate around her tongue and smiled.

"We can share," he replied as he moved back down to the next one in line.

He rested his chest on her belly, stroked his hands in long lengths down her sides, and enjoyed the taste. They slowly made their way through the truffles, sometimes eating a whole one each, sometimes sharing it through a kiss. Until the final truffle.

"This one's mine." Gio called dibs. Betty's expectant face dropped and her head hit the bed in frustration.

She felt the cool chocolate rolling down her body, over her belly, and towards the meeting of her thighs. She gasped a little as Gio began to kiss towards her still-sensitive clit. Her feet crept up the bedspread and her hands tensed again. When she felt his tongue catch the truffle and brush over her, she moaned aloud. He kissed the spot with wet, soft lips, and felt the chocolate melting from the heat of her. He licked in short strokes, gradually lengthening as her moans loudened. She tasted intense and sweet, supple under his tongue. As Betty's hand found its way to the back of his head and grasped his hair, he sucked gently. She cursed under her breath. His caresses found a rhythm of their own, and her body responded. Her hips squirmed towards him and one leg contracted, her feet searching for some resistance. He slipped one hand under her butt, holding her in place as he teased. His other hand brushed lightly against the outside of her thigh. When he dipped his tongue into her she pulled his hair tight and he gasped. She felt his pain and swore, releasing his head. "I'm sorry!" He kissed her and smiled, reaching his hand up to take hers.

Betty pressed her head back, pushed her heel into the mattress, and inhaled. His tongue darted across her clit every now and then, causing her stomach muscles to tense and jolt. As he began to put more constant pressure on it, she forced herself to relax and began to move in time with him. She felt the skin of his cheek and his silky hair brush against her inner thigh. Her leg draped down his side, enjoying the smooth warmth of his skin. She began to pull him up towards her. She wanted to feel him against her again, to taste him and hold him, but the aching for release was just as strong.

Gio kissed her harder, flicked his tongue back and forth, and dipped it deeper with each stroke. He took her into his mouth and covered her completely. He felt her trembling, her toes curl into him again, and held her hand tight as she cried out. When her cries turned to whimpers he slowed, dusting kisses over her inner thighs, and crawled back up to hold her.

She kissed him hard on the mouth and tasted chocolate, mingled with her own scent. Her muscles were limp and relaxed, but her toes still tingled. She ran them up and down the back of his leg, locked her ankle around his, and sighed.

"You're spoiling me." Her hands tickled his back in slow circles.

He looked into her eyes and shook his head.

"No, no…. you're getting _exactly_ what you deserve."

He winked at her with a wicked glint in his eye and stood up. He pulled the bedclothes back and helped her swing around to crawl under the covers. Betty watched with a hint of a smile as he walked around the room, blowing out candles. As the flicking light died, they were left with the gleam of moonlight cast across the floor. He slid under the sheets and rolled her towards him. His arm slipped under her neck, she snuggled into him and slid one thigh up to rest on his hip. She searched for his eyes and found them in the darkness.

"You have one question left."

"I do...? I do!"

He thought for a moment, then looked across at her with a sad, serious expression. He followed the line of her bare shoulder with his fingers.

"Betty Suarez?"

"Yes, Gio?"

"Am I a gentle lover?"

She burst into laughter and hid her blushing face behind her hair.

"Finally!" Gio punched his fist into the air. She looked up at him surprised.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to be able to ask you that."

"Waited?! You asked me that the…" she thought back, "…second time I met you!"

"Yeah but now I can actually get the answer." He bit his lower lip in anticipation.

Betty lost her train of thought, entranced by his lips.

"Uh huh…" She nodded

Gio lifted her chin to make her eyes meet his. She continued.

"You're gentle. Very, very, gentle."

He smiled warmly and pulled her closer.

She whispered in his ear

"And very, _very_, sexy."

His eyes closed and his smile widened. He breathed in her perfume once more, giddy at her nearness.

Intertwined like that, they drifted to sleep.


	15. Strawberries and Sunrises

_Betty is wearing a white dress._

_Its skirt flies out behind her as she ducks around another corner. _

_He's chasing her, breathless, up and around narrow lanes, past brightly painted doors, old-fashioned signs, up uneven paved steps. At each bend he catches the flash of her red shoes, her dark hair. _

_He tries to call to her. He can't. _

_The sunlight flashes through the gaps between the old buildings, filters through the trees, blinds him for a split second. And then she steps out from the shade. _

"_I'm here."_

_He reaches out for her. Her cheeks are flushed and she's laughing. He touches her hair. _

_It is long and soft. It has a slight curl to it from the salt water. It reminds him of something. It shines and bounces as she turns and leads him across the paved courtyard. She's holding his hand. On her wrist is a gold bracelet._

"_Look," she says, "I want you to see this."_

_They are walking towards a low stone wall at the edge of the courtyard. He can feel the heat from the paving under his feet. _

_He doesn't look up at first. He is looking at her dark hair as it plays on her olive skin. The white cotton of her dress is cool to his touch._

_They are standing at the edge of a cliff. _

_To his left, the balcony of a hotel juts out from the safety of the walls, taunting gravity. The hotel's clay tile roof is cast in silhouette. _

_A narrow lane zigzags across the hill beneath them. His eye follows the lane until it becomes a scratch in the green. Another town sprawls down the valley to his right in terraces of colour, sprinkling into the sea. Yachts are creeping back to the marina in the breeze. The land stretches out a narrow sheltering arm of forested hills, surrounded by water. An island is nestled alongside it._

_Blue._

_The ocean stretches in front of him. Wind and light play across its surface. The late afternoon sun is blinding him. It lays an illuminated path to the horizon, interrupted only by the wake of each tiny yacht. The sheen intensifies to a blush pink and then ends in a misty haze of white. _

_The sky feels huge and distant, like it is lifting him off the top of his mountain. Behind him taller ranges glow gold and white as the sun sets. _

_Betty's arm is around his waist, her fingers are playing with the seam of his shirt. She is resting her head on his shoulder. He can feel the warmth of her hair as he kisses it._

Gio woke up with silken strands of hair between his fingers, too long to be his.

He felt skin too soft to be his own.

He opened his eyes.

Betty, next to him.

She was lying on her side, hair sprinkled around the pillow. She had the sheet crinkled up around her shoulders, but the bedspread had been pushed aside in the heat. She still wore her gold jewellery and a little mascara from the night before. Her hand rested across his chest. Her breathing was soft.

Gio moved quietly to peek under the sheet. That was all she wore.

He closed his eyes and dropped the cover with a deep breath, wishing he had a photographic memory. Betty shivered a little. He smiled to himself and ran soft fingers along her upper arm, over her shoulder, and cupped her cheek in his hand. As he ran his hand through her hair he remembered a flash of his dream.

He kissed her cheek and unfolded himself from her.

Gio rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed until his eyes focussed. He noticed Betty's glasses sitting on the bedside cabinet next to him. His smile grew and the dimple reappeared. The champagne, flowers, and strawberries still sat on the little table. He picked his way among their discarded clothes, pausing to pull on his boxers as he passed them. Candles were dotted around the room. He scratched the back of his head, feeling the short hair and a yawn overtake him. It couldn't be later than 7. He leaned one hand on the table and helped himself to a strawberry. The roses were beginning to release their scent again, just as dawn broke, before the real colour had started to stain the sky. Gio stared out the tall window of the room. It was slightly ajar and the same light breeze was wafting through it. He could hear the birds in the distance beginning their dance and he stood, entranced, waiting to see them.

As they rose from a stand of trees several blocks away, Gio began to hum to himself quietly.

_Birds flyin' high_

The morning was very quiet.

_You know how I feel…_

They were scattered as they began to rise above the rooftops.

_Sun in the sky,_

_You know how I feel _

He hummed under his breath so as not to wake her, but the lyrics soared in his mind.

_Breeze driftin' on by,_

_You know how I feel_

He took another deep breath.

_It's a new dawn_

_It's a new day_

_It's a new life_

_For me_

_And I'm feelin'…_

_good._

As the trumpets in his head kicked in Gio turned and looked at Betty again.

She was fast asleep.

He danced over to the wardrobe and knew exactly where to find it.

Betty's hand searched over the covers. A complete arc. She reached forward. Another arc.

No Gio, but something cold and hard touched her face. And something that smelled delicious.

She opened her eyes,

A strawberry. Sitting on top of a book, placed on Gio's pillow.

The Sun Also Rises

By Ernest Hemingway

An old hardback edition. She rolled over and popped the strawberry in her mouth. Then opened the cover.

This Book Belongs to…

_Giovanni __Niccolò__ Rossi_

Scrawled in the still-shaky writing of a teenage boy.

She closed her eyes. And rolled back to sleep, imagining a younger Gio carefully writing out his full name.

Gio wrapped the towel around his waist, the final strains of the song replaying in his mind.

He saw Betty, lying on her back now, a small smile on her face.

_Sleep in peace when day is done,_

_That's what I mean…_

_And this old world is a new world_

_And a bold world_

_For me…_

The strawberry was gone, and the cover sat open.

Gio walked to the foot of the bed and pulled the covers from the end. He crouched down and drew the sheets up, found Betty's foot and kissed the top of it.

Her eyes opened and she watched him, his wet hair dripped down his neck. She shivered a little as he held her feet in his hands and kissed them one at a time. When his fingers slipped to the soles of her feet, tickling her, she squealed and drew them back under the covers.

"Good Morning." He looked slowly up at her face, the dimple barely showing.

"Good Morning." Betty followed him carefully with her eyes as he crawled onto the bed and up towards her. He looked at her through long eyelashes and kissed her on the mouth. His lips were tender and he smelt of cologne and just-washed hair. She tasted of strawberry. He was still dripping water on the bedspread as he drew away from her and settled on his elbows. His damp chest marked the sheet. Betty's eyes opened slowly as she savoured the taste of him. Strawberries and…

"Champagne?!" She gave him a disbelieving look and searched for their glasses. She couldn't see as far as the little table, but she could make out the red and white of her flowers.

"I was thirsty!" He shot back an innocent shrug. "It's flat but it still tastes good…"

He remembered their unfinished glasses, then looked at Betty where she lay. _I guess we didn't need it after all._

Betty handed him the book and rolled onto her side beneath the sheet. She rested her head on her hand and flicked her hair back over her shoulder.

"So what's it about?"

"Lots of things. I guess." Gio had to think for a minute.

"War. Innocence. Loss… Faith. Finding a purpose. Independence…"

Betty listened carefully as he furrowed his brow.

"Friendship. Love. Sex. Bullfighting…" he trailed off.

Betty smiled at him, "Anything else?"

"You'll have to tell me. Every time I read it I see something new in the story." He smiled to himself and looked down. He ran a palm over the smooth cover of the book. "It's like visiting an old friend who only lets you get to know them bit by bit."

"You've read it more than once?"

Betty raised her eyebrows.

"Every year since I was sixteen." Around my birthday, he thought. "But I've never read it _with_ anyone."

She trailed her fingers along his temple and down behind his ear. She felt the water between her fingers and looked at the old, dog-eared volume in his hands.

"Okay, how does it start?"

Betty stayed very quiet as Gio lifted the cover and turned each page one at a time.

He read the title page, the dedication, and the epigraph aloud. She felt as though she was witnessing a very private ritual.

When he reached the first chapter he creased the page down and spoke quietly.

_Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn._

Betty watched him for the first few sentences, watched him turn the page, press it down carefully, smooth out the creases in the paper. His lips formed each word expertly. He knew it well. She settled back and closed her eyes, listening to the rhythm of the sentences. She smiled at each humorous line, heard him rustle the sheet as he turned a page. Gio watched the expressions change over her face, heard her breathing settle into a slow rhythm. When he finished the chapter and paused, her eyes remained closed.

"What did you stop for?"

"That's the end of the chapter."

She opened her eyes.

"Can you read the next one?"

He nodded and she closed her eyes again as he began to speak.

He was a little nervous. He thought she would like the story, but a part of him was worried too. What if she was bored? What if she fell asleep? Lost interest?

He shouldn't take it personally, but he knew how he would feel. The excitement of sharing something with her would wane into awkwardness. She might be too polite to ask him to stop. When he paused at the end of the next chapter she didn't open her eyes, just tapped his shoulder, urging him to continue.

Betty liked the voice she was hearing. The character was vivid in her mind. She saw the dialogue playing out, the expressions on each man's face. Then she realised that she hadn't been told what to imagine at all. At a break in the passage she interrupted.

"What does Cohn look like?"

Gio stopped, confused.

"Huh?"

"What does Cohn look like?"

"He's Jewish. With a broken nose."

"I know, but I have this vivid image of him in my head and I don't know where it came from. And Jake too… Do we find out what Jake looks like?"

"Does it matter?"

"No… well… I guess not."

"Okay. Just wait."

Gio repeated the last sentence and continued.

Betty's mind ticked over. She'd never read anything by Hemingway, but the writing felt familiar. Different from what she was used to, but it made sense to her.

She interrupted again.

"It's just, I don't know why, but they seem familiar."

"Who?"

"Jake and Robert."

Gio smiled at her sincerity.

"It's because you can believe in them. They come to life in your mind because you imagine that somewhere, sometime, they _must_ exist."

Betty smiled, and nodded.

As he finished reading the chapter Gio recalled the place in his dream, clutching for the details he could catch, and felt that same feeling of familiarity wash over him.

He closed the book, kissed Betty's forehead and touched his nose to hers.

"It's time to get up."

The sun was streaming through the window now, across the bed, warming his dry, bare back. Betty rolled onto her stomach and he peeled the sheets back. He ran his fingers down her spine and trailed them across the small of her back, teasing towards the curve of her hips. Her skin glowed in the sunlight. He snuggled closer to her and rested his cheek on her shoulder. She took the book from his hand and set it back on the pillow.

"Okay, I'm going to go shower. But promise you won't read any more while I'm gone."

"I promise."

"And close your eyes."

Gio started,

"I will not!"

Betty giggled as she slipped out of the sheet and ducked into the bathroom. Gio snapped his head around to catch a glimpse but saw only a brief flash of her long hair, dark skin, and her gold earrings flashing in the sunlight.


End file.
